Even with the unexpected snow falling this morning, there was a full church at St. Stephen Martyr this morning for the 11 o'clock Mass. Everyone sat there with their hair dripping from melting snow that had fallen on them as they walked into the church.
Today also saw the debut of the new "interim chamber organ" that they have installed where the back few pews were on the right side of the church. It's a ten-rank Casavent Frères in the classical French style, built in Québec, Canada. They purchased it from "the music room of a private residence in Exeter, New Hampshire." It's just an orgue du choeur or "positif" that will be the fill-in instrument until they raise an additional three-quarters of a million dollars for the construction and installation of the big Spanish orchestral instrument they've commissioned from Lively-Fulcher.
I thought the organ sounded very pleasant and had a nice tone. The only time I noticed some shortcomings was when the organist was improvising some fill-ins between the verses of the offertory hymn, when the lower notes of a unidentifiable rank (a low reed like maybe a bassoon??) he was wanting to use as a solo stop sounded airy and unsupported; I assume that's an installation issue that will be corrected with the organ technician soon.
Since this is the first Sunday of Lent, the Mass settings changed for the new season. It's an interesting mix with some old, some new. The Confiteor is from the Liturgy of the Assembly of the Faithful based on Russian chant, the Kyrie is the chant Kyrie XI with choral extensions from Michael Haydn's Missa Tempore Quadragesimae, the Gospel acclamation is the Lenten "Praise to you" chant by Richard Proulx, the Exaudi, Christe chant for the intercessions; the Sanctus, Benedictus, Memorial Acclamation, and Great Amen were all from Howard Hughes' Mass of the Divine Word (a dreadful setting that seems more intended for a guitar Mass than a choir with pipe organ), the Agnus Dei came from David Clarke Isele's Holy Cross Mass, and the Non sum dignus is by André Gouzes.
Today's post-communion motet by the choir was "Hearken unto My Cry" by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672). The choir chanted the introit and communion antiphons (don't know if they'll be doing offertory antiphons as they have in the past). Today's responsorial psalm used an antiphon by the parish's organist/choirmaster.
Hymns were Deus tuorum militum ("Now let us all with one accord") for the procession, Heinlein ("Forty days and forty nights") for the offertory, and Detroit ("Forgive our sins as we forgive") for the recessional. They attempted some responsorial song thingy "The hand of the Lord feeds us" as a communion hymn.
The GWU chaplain was celebrant and homilist. His homily was pretty good today, and was actually focused and on point, discussing Lenten fasting and reminding people that the eucharistic fast (not eating an hour before communion) still exists. Father is giving up meat and fish and becoming vegetarian for Lent this year.
People were unusually chatty and friendly after Mass today....must have been the snow that put everybody in a good mood.
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