Midnight Mass (2025)
Greetings all—
Here commences the mega-list of resources and reference recordings for Christmas Eve, 2025.
A few notes first:
Choir, please be in place and ready to sing by 11pm.
While you have your ordos, I will be interspersing extra organ works to both give your voices a rest and fill additional time. Please don’t be surprised if I start something and it is obviously not the next thing in your books. We WILL go in order of the booklet; I will simply be adding extra things. If it’s extra, just sit tight and the next thing will be what you’re expecting.
On the basic hymns, you can sing parts or simply sing the melody. Just enjoy yourself. I’m only concerned about parts on the special choir pieces.
Sing your hearts out!
(The following resources are not in particular order, and links have not been provided for literally every thing we will be singing, but rather those things with which you are likely to be less familiar.)
Resources:
Away in A Manger (we will sing this ALTERNATE Melody)
Christmas Lullaby – Rutter (see below for ATB dubs)
*Currently we will repeat “A” once we get to “E”.Enixa est Puerpera
*Men sing verses on top, women sing the verses on bottom. Everyone sings the special verse 3.Ding-Dong Merrily on High! Brand new practice tracks! (12/16/25)
*All Women sing the initial Soprano entrance, and all Men sing the Initial Tenor entrance, after which Altos & Basses split off to their respective lines.Gaudete, Christus est Natus (normal speed | “learning speed”)
Puer Natus in Bethlehem (Scheidt)
*Practice tracks are for the Easter text, but the notes are identical.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••HOLY MASS:
Introit: Puer Natus (medieval version, volunteer schola)
Kyrie de Angelis (or: Missa Tribus Vocibus if we can learn it in time)
Gloria de Angelis (Calm Monks or James’s Tempo)
Psalm 96 “Today is born our Savior…” (timestamped in the description)
Christmastide Alleluia (see below for old tracks)
Angels We Have Heard on High
Offertory Antiphon: Lætentur Cæli (volunteer schola)
Sanctus & Agnus Dei from Proulx’s Community Mass (both in this one video)
Communion Antiphon: In splendoribus sanctorum (whole choir)
Silent Night (last verse SATB a cappella)
Joy to the World (with Fanfare Introduction)
[Vierne Finale]
In addition to linking to a wonderful recording of Rutter’s Christmas Lullaby, I am including below the video some shortened tracks where I’ve overdubbed the ATB parts for the “Ave Maria” refrains.
The YouTube playlist for Ding Dong Merrily on High includes both performance speed versions, as well as slowed down “learning speed” versions. There are also ad-free mp3’s embedded below.
Introit, chanted by volunteer schola:
Offertory Antiphon, time permitting, volunteer schola:
Advent III (A • 2025)
Greetings all—
Here’s our ordo for Advent III. My apologies for posting it so late today.
And THANK YOU for a great (and long) rehearsal on Thursday.
As a reminder, we will have two rehearsals this coming week: Tuesday & Thursday. Hopefully a little extra effort this coming week can save us from an extra rehearsal immediately before Christmas.
Ordinary: Missa XVII (click here for comprehensive practice tracks / videos)
Entrance [Antiphon] Hymn: Hark the Glad Sound! to RICHMOND
Entrance Antiphon: See below
Psalm: 146 “Lord, come and save us.” (Playlist)
Gospel Acclamation: Genevan Alleluia
Offertory Antiphon: See below
Offertory Hymn: Comfort, Comfrot ye, My People, to the tune GENEVAN 42
Communion Antiphon: (Fr. Weber #63)
Communion Motet: Tollite Portas (Dalitz)
Communion Hymn: Veni, Veni Emmanuel
Recessional Hymn: People Look East
Entrance Antiphon Hymn: Hark the Glad Sound!
Special Gospel Acclamation: “Genevan Alleluia”
Offertory Hymn: Comfort, Comfort Ye, My People
Communion Motet:
Communion Hymn: Veni, Veni Emmanuel
Recessional Hymn: People Look East
Look Ahead Resources:
Advent II (A • 2025)
Greetings all—
Here’s our ordo for Advent II.
Please make sure you listen to Vox Clamantis in Deserto by de las Muelas. We really need notes to be secure if we are going to be able to pull it off.
Ordinary: Missa XVII (click here for comprehensive practice tracks / videos)
Entrance [Antiphon] Hymn: On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry to WINCHESTER NEW
Entrance Antiphon: “O people of Sion, behold, the Lord will come to save the nations!” (adapt. JJR)
Psalm: 72 “Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace for ever.” (Link)
*all sing unison throughoutGospel Acclamation: Advent Alleluia (Playlist)
Offertory Antiphon: “You will turn to us, O God, and restore our life, and Your people shall rejoice in You.” (Source & Summit)
Offertory Hymn: Hark! a Thrilling Voice is Sounding, to the tune MERTON
Communion Antiphon: “Jerusalem, arise and stand upon the heights…” (Fr. Weber #40)
Communion Motet: Vox Clamantis by de las Muelas (Link)
Communion Hymn: Wake, Awake! for Night is Flying to WACHET AUF
Recessional Hymn: The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns to MORNING SONG
Entrance Antiphon Hymn: On Jordan's Bank
NB: we plan on singing the refrain unison
Offertory Hymn: Hark a Thrilling Voice is Sounding
Click on the image to be taken to an animated YouTube Version.
Communion Motet:
Communion Hymn:
Recessional Hymn:
All psalms & motets for ALL OF ADVENT 2025 are available by clicking this button:
And our backup plan just in case:
Advent I (A • 2025)
Greetings all—
Thanks to those of you who made it out for rehearsal on Tuesday. I really appreciate it! For those who couldn’t be there with us, you have some homework to do! In particular, we need everyone to really know their part to Ad Te Levavi by Witt.
Good luck with Snowmageddon!
Ordinary: Missa XVII (click here for comprehensive practice tracks / videos)
Entrance Antiphon Hymn to the tune of PUER NOBIS NASCITUR
Entrance Antiphon: “To You I lift up my soul…” (S&S, see below)
Psalm: 122 “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord!” (Playlist)
Gospel Acclamation: Advent Alleluia (Playlist)
Offertory Antiphon: “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” (S&S, see below)
Offertory Hymn: Savior of the Nations, Come to the tune NUN KOMM DER HEIDEN HEILAND
Communion Antiphon: “The Lord will bestow His bounty…” (Fr. Weber 17)
Communion Anthem: Ad Te Levavi • Witt (Playlist)
Communion Hymn: Creator of the Stars of Night to CREATOR ALME SIDERUM
Recessional Hymn: O Come Divine Messiah to VENEZ DIVIN MESSIE
Offertory Hymn:
Communion Hymn:
Christ the King (2025)
Greetings All—
Here’s our ordo and our practice track resources for the Solemnity of Christ the King.
PS—please consider bringing a tissue box to the loft. It’s now “that time of year” and I suspect we will be going through them much faster than. Thank you to those of you who already stashed a couple of boxes for everyone!
PPS—Here is the master page with all of our Advent things:
Prelude: Choral Fanfare for Christ the King by H. Hamilton Smith (Video)
Entrance Hymn: Crown Him with Many Crowns (V4 = antiphon trope)
Entrance Antiphon: Dignus est, Latin, JJR
Ordinary: Mass in Honor of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, by Olbash*
NB: The Gloria will be from the Missa Simplex by Proulx (see worship aid)
Psalm: 122, “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.” (Playlist)
Gospel Acclamation: Gospel Acclamation for the Feast of Christ the King (Video)
Offertory Hymn: Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending (HELMSLEY)
Offertory Antiphon: Latin, JJR, time permitting
Communion Antiphon: Sedebit Dominus (see below)
Communion Chant: Laudes Regiæ (Video)
Recessional Hymn: To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King (ICH GLAUB AN GOTT)
Below is the “repeat after me” video for Sedebit Dominus (Communion Antiphon), followed by a demo sung by monks, and then a demo of verse 2 for the ladies.
Advent 2025 • St. Augustine Cathedral
Greetings all—
Here are the major pieces for Advent 2025, collated into one handy list.
Advent Alleluia
Advent I
Advent II
NB: the practice tracks are still note-accurate, however I have transposed this psalm up so it sits in a better range for everyone.
Option i vs Option ii TBD
Check time stamps for alternate voice parts.
Advent III
Check time stamps for alternate voice parts.
Check time stamps for alternate voice parts.
Advent IV
Live performance:
Voice parts time stamped in the description: