Children’s Mass: Store Up Riches In Heaven
Entrance Hymn: Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All (SWEET SACRAMENT)
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119: 1-2, 4-5, 17 – 18 R. Happy are they who follow the law of the Lord (Glover/Guimont)
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia from Mass for John Carroll
Prayers of the Faithful: O God, Hear Us, Hear Our Prayer (??? our old xerox of this response looks like GIA, but I don’t know what book)
Presentation of the Gifts: On Eagle’s Wings (Joncas)
Eucharistic Acclamations and Lamb of God: Mass of Joy and Peace (Manolo)
Communion: We Come to Your Table (Landry)
Closing Hymn: Go Now In Peace (Sleeth)
Music Class Liturgy Prep
We Come to Your Table worked really nicely today as a call and response style Communion song. The piano accompaniment, which we took andante, is very charming and bell-like.
We practiced this as an echo song during music class for a couple weeks. The students practiced singing the first phrase of the refrain in solfege, with hand signs: mi-fa-so-mi-re-do, and playing this phrase on the barred orff instruments in the the key of C (since I have not yet found the F# bars!). I heard a lot of children’s voices singing along during Mass. Even the 8th grade students, who sit with Kindergarten “buddies” were excited to tell me that their buddy was bellowing out this song. Yay!!!!!
One more plus: This song is not in our hymnal. So instead of announcing the hymn number in my calmest, most reverent, flight attendant voice, the accompanist just started playing the twinkly introduction. The peaceful, prayerful, pre-communion procession vibe was maintained. 🙂
On Eagle’s Wings
This beloved song got a fresh treatment from Mrs. Robbins this week: I composed a simple choir and tone chime descant for the refrain. I reinforced it on the flute, since it is new. Definitely worth trying again.
Listen to me singing the descant with myself here.
Miscellaneous Good Thing: 6th Grade Choir Members and 1st Grade Choir Buddies
The tradition of older students sitting with an assigned, younger student, “buddy,” is cherished at my school. There is even an adorable flower presentation ceremony at the Welcome Back to School Mass, at which the 8th grade presents a flower to their Kindergarten buddy, with whom they will sit at each weekly Children’s Mass for the entire school year. At graduation, the Kindergarten buddies present a flower to the 8th grade graduates. Puts a tear in my eye just thinking about it.
Well, yesterday the 6th grade teacher asked me to remind her of the 6th grade choir members, because she was assigning them a 1st grade buddy. This school is small (one class per grade with an average size of 17) and the thought of someone choosing between having a buddy and singing in the choir was not a cozy one. I asked if the first grade buddies could sit with us in the choir. The teacher thought it was a nice idea worth trying. And I am proud to report that the 1st grade choir buddies were great. Several of them sang everything! We’ll see how it goes in the coming weeks, when sitting with the choir is not so new, but, as always, I am hopeful.
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