I'm basically chained to my desk for the next 5 days. Thesis writing: it burns!

Yesterday, for the ecumenical service, we had a guy from the Word Festival speak. I can't seem to get excited about the Word Festival and his long, long, long, long sermon didn't help. It did help that a guy with twin girls sat down near me and we played peek-a-boo during parts of the service.

I was pleased that we sang 'Kingsfold', 'Repton', and 'Cwm Rhondda' for the hymns. There was one other, but eh. Those three are some of my favorites.

The anthem was something forgettable, but easy to pick up since I'd missed rehearsal last Tuesday evening. I think the easiness was picked to accomodate the people smashed from the music ball the night before.

Mass in the evening was super long. We had not only the usual kyrie, gloria, psalm, gospel acclamation, memorial acclamation, communion antiphon, sanctus, agnus dei, regina caeli, salve regina, and four hymns, but also the sequence 'Veni Sancte Spiritu'. Of the four hymns, two had 7+ verses, so lots of singing.

When I intoned the Kyrie, I felt like my chest was going to explode. The previous cantor was a soprano. Since I'm an alto, the organist lowered the piece, I think by a tone and a half. Unfortunately, that meant that towards the end of lines, I was having a hard time having enough air to sustain the notes, plus keep them loud. Which of course made me nervous and compounded the air-intake issues.

The homily for the day was an anti-abortion one. I don't even know precisely what I want to say about that. You could tell the congregation wasn't totally agreeing with him because people shift around a lot more. The things I notice from the organ loft...

Things went well until the Agnus Dei, at which point I was confused because Father skipped around in the missal a bit. I was trying to find my place and the organist gave me the tone for the Agnus Dei and I had to fumble for my Liber before beginning.

I spoke with the organist after and he seems happy enough with what I did, but I'm a little frustrated. I think it will help that he's going to raise the tone of the Kyrie and I'm going to dog ear the 'de Angelis' bits in my Liber so I can open to them quickly.

Exciting times, no?
Right then, back to work.

FYI, it's Ascension Day.

The Mass chants for Eastertide (but not Easter day itself) are 'De Angelis'.

We switched over from using 'Orbis Factor' once Lent was over.

Today, as you might presume, we were to do 'De Angelis'.

I sang the Kyrie for 'De Angelis'.

The organist played 'Orbis Factor'.

There was a bit of confusion and extemporanising, but we got there in the end.

I guess that's what happens when you get two Protestants together doing the music for Mass...accidents happen. :)

Otherwise, the organist and I rocked the chapel. \m/