Pointy hat

Walking up to church at St. Stephen's this morning, I noticed a little sign taped to the marquee announcing that the archbishop was going to be at the service today and I almost turned around and went home. Nothing against the archbishop, but you know how, when pointy-hats are in church, things can get long and boring really quickly. It wasn't that bad, though, and His Excellency only preached for eleven minutes.

Hymns this morning were Swabia ('Tis good, Lord, to be here) for the processional (the organist had to improvise between verses to extend the hymn), Jesu dulci memoria (O Sun of justice, Jesus Christ) for the offertory, Willcock's "The Lord is my light and my salvation" responsorial ditty for communion, and St. Flavian (Lord, who throughout these forty days) for the recessional. Mass setting for the Sanctus, Benedictus, Memorial Acclamation, and Great Amen was Hughes' Mass of the Divine Word, with Gregorian chant for the Kyrie, Intercessions, Our Father, and Agnus Dei. The choir extended the Kyrie with the 16th century John Taverner's Mass for Three Voices. They used the usual parish Russian chant for the Confiteor and the Gouzes Non sum dignus.

During the post-communion ablutions, the choir did a lovely job singing Richard Farrant's "Lord, for Thy Tender Mercy's Sake" and Henry Purcell's "Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts." They always sound so good when they sing traditional Anglican literature.

The service was a pontifical high Mass (or at least as pontifical as things get outside the cathedral in these dreary post-Vatican II days), but the Abp. as celebrant didn't chant as many of the prayers as the parish traditionally chants on a regular basis. Thankfully, the service didn't last any longer than it usually does on normal Sunday mornings.