Mount Calvary Church
A Roman Catholic Parish
The Personal Ordinariate of S. Peter
Eutaw Street and Madison Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland
Rev. Albert Scharbach, Pastor
Andrew Johnson, Organist and Music Director
Trinity XVIII
October 11, 2020
8:00 A.M. Said Mass
10:00 A.M. Sung Mass
This mass will be livestreamed.
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Organ Prelude
Aria, G.F. Handel
Organ Postlude
Prelude and Fugue in D major, G.F. Handel
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was a renowned German/English composer of the 18th century, whose popularity far exceeded that of J.S. Bach during their lifetime. His eclectic musical style was inspired by studying German counterpoint, writing operas in Italy, and his famed oratorios in England. The prelude, “Aria,” was originally a movement from Handel’s 12th Concerto Grosso for strings. The postlude, “Prelude and Fugue in D major,” begins with a stately fanfare followed by a dance-like fugue in triple meter.
Rejoice in the Lord alway, Anonymous
Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say rejoice.
Let your softness be known unto all men: the Lord is even at hand.
Be careful for nothing: but in all prayer and supplication,
let your petitions be manifest unto God with giving of thanks.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding
keep your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesu. Amen.
Although the composer of this work is unknown, this anthem has endured since its composition in the 16th century. Much like an English madrigal, each textual section is set to music that reinforces its meaning: a cheerful “rejoice,” a delicate “softness,” and repetitive, overlapping “petitions” to God.
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Communion Anthem
O Taste and See, John Goss (1800-1880)
O taste and see how gracious the Lord is,
Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.
O fear the Lord, ye that are His saints,
For they that fear Him lack nothing.
The lions do lack, and suffer hunger,
But they who seek the Lord
Shall want no manner of thing that is good.
John Goss (1800-1880) was an organist and music professor in 19th century England. The simplicity of this anthem speaks for itself. Goss sets the text syllabically and homophonically so that the delivery of the scripture is paramount. He writes more dissonant harmonies to paint words such as “lion” and hunger,” then returns to the familiar and inviting refrain.
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Hymns
Firmly I believe and truly (NASHOTAH) is adapted from John Henry Newman’s 1865 poem The Dream of Gerontius about the progress of a soul from death to salvation. As an Evangelical, Newman (1801—1890) rejected the doctrines of purgatory and the intercession of saints, but as part of his conversion (1845), he came to a realization of the fullness of the communion of saints: those striving on earth, those being purified by the divine fire, and those in heaven moved by love to pray for those on earth and in purgatory. The poem (Greek Geron: old man), relates the journey of a pious man’s soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God and settling into Purgatory. As the priests and assistants pray the prayers for the dying, Gerontius recites this creed and prays for mercy. Sanctus Fortis, Sanctus Deus is from the Good Friday liturgy and is alluded to in the line “him the holy, him the strong.”
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O food of men wayfaring is a translation of O esca viatorum, an anonymous Latin hymn first published in 1647. In the first verse, we express the desire to unite with Christ by means of His body, the manna from heaven; in the second, by means of His blood, the fountain of living water that gives us eternal life. In the third verse, we desire the vision of Christ’s face unveiled, whose hidden presence we adore in the eucharistic species.
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At the Lamb’s high feast we sing is a translation by Robert Campbell (1814-1868) of the seventh century Latin hymn, Ad regias agni dapes, which was sung by the newly baptized at Easter when they were first admitted to communion. Our victorious King through His death and resurrection has caused the angel of death to pass over us. We are redeemed by His blood, which opens Paradise to us where we will live forever. The LORD brought Israel out of Egypt through the sea into the promised land by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus through His death brings us through the wilderness of this life by feeding us with Himself, the true manna that comes down from heaven. SALZBURG is by Jakob Hintze (1622-1702), who in 1666 became court musician to the Elector of Brandenburg at Berlin.