Whilst sitting in the pews perusing the service leaflet and the parish newsletter this morning, I found the very formal announcement that my friend John had been engaged as organist of the parish. How exciting! What was particularly fun, though, was during the Peace, I discovered him sitting just two pews behind me.
The Mass setting this morning at St. Paul's was Communion Service in E-flat (Missa de Santo Albano) by Healey Willan, all sung by the choir. The choir also did the Anglican chant for the psalm, this time a chant by Edward Bairstow. The congregation joined in chanting the Creed and the Lord's Prayer, as always, plus the usual responses.
Opening hymn was Oriel (To the Name of our salvation), Bourbon (Take up your cross) was the sequence, Picardy (Let all mortal flesh) showed up as the post-communion ablutions hymn, and the recessional hymn was all six verses of Coronation (All hail the power of Jesus' name).
For the offertory, the choir sang "O God, thou art my God" by Henry Purcell. It included a closing alleluia section that was the familiar melody from the hymn Westminster Abbey. The communion motet was "Tantum ergo Sacramentum" by Maurice Duruflé. Duruflé also composed the postlude today, Fugue sur le thème du carillon des heures de la cathédral de Soissons, Op. 12. The prelude had been "After an Old French Air" by Percy Whitlock.
There was sherry in the parish hall after Mass.
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