Easter VI (C • 2025)
I’m keeping this short and sweet since there are more pressing concerns regarding next week.
Here are the essentials resources:
(sorry… no SATB version of this one)
A lovely real version sung by a choir to really soak in the feel of the piece:
Practice tracks:
Communion Hymn:
2025 Priestly Ordination
Greetings all—
If you are on this page, then you are interested in (or committed to) singing for Deacon Paul Thuantho’s priestly ordination at St. Augustine’s Cathedral, Kalamazoo on Saturday, May 31st at 10am. Thank you, and welcome!
If you would like to join the diocesan choir for this event, please fill out the following form to let me know you are coming so I can prepare the correct number of choir packets.
Practice Track Resources are available below the signup form, so you can begin to prepare. A few are still missing, and I will attempt to fill holes in the coming days.
Attire will be black/white. If you have “concert black” (ie- an all-black outfit) then you are encouraged to wear it, otherwise black slacks and a white top/blouse (jacket for men) is just fine.
There will be a special rehearsal this coming Wednesday, May 28th from 6:00-8:00pm in the cathedral loft for those who can attend. I know that this conflicts with some normal choir rehearsals and that not everyone can attend. Unfortunately, with the holiday weekend and other events at the cathedral, this is the only night that we can meet. You can still join us to sing even if you miss rehearsal IF you prepare from home and can still warmup with us ordination day.
The morning of the ordination, we will warmup at 8:30am. (that means butts in seats, ready to sing; we will have a lot of ground to cover, and will also need to coordinate cues with Brass.)
If you have any questions for me, please send me an email.
I look forward to singing with you all!
PROCESSIONAL HYMN
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
KYRIE
GLORIA
PSALM
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
ANTIPHONS
OFFERTORY (I)
Just as with last year, we will sing the motet I’ll bless the Lord all the days of my life (Teleman / Morber). This piece is a simple canon; that means that everyone learns the exact same music, but simple sings it at different times as it layers over itself. There are a few different demos below:
THEME ALONE
Voices Equal
Top part (Sopranos)
Middle part (Altos)
Bottom part (Men)
I’ll mention that these demo tracks are a tad on the fast side. We will relax the tempo a bit. (Basically the same tempo as the solo demo of the theme at the beginning of each video.)
This is to be sung “lightly” which is to say buoyantly. Rearticulate each vowel on any slurred sixteenth notes so we have clarity. For those who are new to this piece, just listen to the theme, as all three parts use this identical music. In truth, this piece is actually rather easy to sing even though it sounds much more fancy than it really is!
OFFERTORY (II)
Our charming second offertory piece is a setting of the Memorare is available as a free PDF which you can download here.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
COMMUNION (I)
Our first communion piece will be Bach’s famous Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (in English). We will sing the full arrangement with the instrumental interludes as demonstrated in this original version:
Basically, all you have to do is think of this as a normal SATB hymn, but with interludes after every phrase.
UPDATE:
Here are some new basic practice tracks that feature the organ accompaniment flowing in the background, but feature S/A/T/B overlays so you can learn your part easily without worrying about trying to follow along with all the triplets in the accompaniment. Just read it like a hymn, but with little interludes between phrases.
Communion (II)
Click in the video description for timestamps of each voice part.
RECESSIONAL HYMN
Easter V (C • 2025)
Greetings all—
As you know, the cathedral has now been without power for two days, and power is not slated to return until Sunday evening, so this weekend will be a completely a cappella affair. There is a hidden blessing in this, I believe, and I suspect that many people will find the experience edifying on the whole. This does necessitate some changes, however.
Please dress “Sunday best” (but anticipate a warm church). The choir will not wear robes.
I will lead the psalm from the ambo and you will lead the congregational response from the back; we will not worry about singing parts on the verses.
We will still sing our chants / hymns / communion motet. I will give incipits and away we go!
We will sing the simple, English version of the Sanctus / Agnus dei. Everyone should know them by wrote.
So, without further ado, here is our ordo:
Entrance Antiphon Hymn to GELOBT SEI GOTT
Entrance Antiphon: Fr. Weber #799
Kyrie from Missa de Angelis
Psalm 145 (*melody only)
Alleluia (we will still sing the verse in parts as normal)
Offertory (I): Regina Cæli (plainchant)
Offertory Hymn (II): Lo! What a Glorious Sight Appeared to the tune KINGSFOLD
Simple Sanctus & Simple Agnus Dei (English)
Communion Antiphon: Fr. Weber #813 (organ-only demo below)
Communion Motet: Mandatum Novum (from Foot Washing Antiphon) Link
Communion Hymn: Hail Thou, Once-Despisèd Jesus to the tune CHARTRES (see below)
Recessional Hymn: With High Delight to the tune MIT FREUDEN ZART
Processional Hymn & Antiphon:
Offertory Hymn:
Communion:
NB: all practice tracks are time stamped in the same video:
Recessional Hymn Melody:
Mass of Thanksgiving for Leo XIV
Greetings All—
I hope that those of you who joined us for the Requiem Mass for Pope Francis and/or the Mass for the opening of the conclave will consider joining us once again this coming Monday, May 19 at 5:30pm for a Mass of Thanksgiving and celebration for the election of Pope Leo XIV.
In the interest of keeping this as straightforward and simple as possible, I’ve kept some of the propers as well as the ordinary the same. So if you learned the Kyrie/Offertorio/Communio/Sanctus/Agnus Dei last time, you’re already halfway there!
As is our custom, I’m humbly requesting you let me know you’re coming via this form so I can prepare the correct number of booklets. Warmups begin at 4:45 with those who can come early. Dress is “Sunday best”.
(Also, please mark your calendars for Deacon Paul’s ordination on Saturday, May 31 at 10am! More details to follow soon.)
Here is our ordo:
Entrance Hymn: Now Thank We All Our God to NUN DANKET ALLE GOTT
Entrance Antiphon: “I will look after My sheep…” by Fr. Weber (see below)
Kyrie from Missa de Angelis
Psalm 115, “Not to us, O Lord, but to Your name give the glory.” (mp3’s below; YouTube Playlist)
“Eastertide Alleluia”
Offertory Antiphon: “I have found David, my servant…” by Fr. Weber (see below)
Offertory Hymn: The Lord works marvels for us all to Parry’s JERUSALEM
Sanctus & Agnus Dei from the Missa de Angelis
Communion Antiphon: “I chose you and appointed you…” by Fr. Weber
Communion Hymn: We Praise You and Acknowledge You (Te Deum) to THAXTED.
Recessional Hymn: Long Live the Pope (PAPAL HYMN)
Entrance Antiphon:
Kyrie:
Psalm:
Alleluia:
Offertory Antiphon:
Offertory Hymn:
NB: the demo featured here has a different text, but it is still good for learning the melody.
Text: ©2025 Kathleen Pluth, All Rights Reserved. Permission to use through June 2025. Melody: JERUSALEM (Parry) [Public Domain]
Here is a special video I made for my last parish where we walk through the Sanctus step-by-step and learn each phrase “repeat after me” style.
Communion Antiphon:
Communion Hymn:
Recessional Hymn Tune:
Easter IV (C • 2025)
Ordo:
Entrance Antiphon Hymn: “The Strife is O’er” (with textual trope of the Introit)
Entrance Antiphon: Source & Summit (see below)
Psalm: 100, “We are His people, the sheep of His flock.”
Eastertide Alleluia
Offertory I: Regina Cæli
Offertory II: The Lamb’s High Banquet We Await to JERUSALEM
Communion Antiphon: Fr. Weber #790 (ignore markings except on the word “flock”)
Communion Anthem: Surrexit Christus Hodie by Scheidt (Playlist)
Communion “Hymn”: Anima Christi by Marco Frisina (Playlist)
Recessional Hymn: Awake, Arise, Lift Up Thy Voice to RICHMOND
Easter III (C • 2025)
Hi Friends—
I’m tired… like… really tired. This is what I have for this week.
A note about this recording of the Psalm:
As mentioned during rehearsal, this recording is of the original version which has a more florid refrain. The verses are the same, and the general outline of the new antiphon is very similar, albeit simplified. Time stamps are available in the video so you can skip ahead to each voice part to learn the verses. (As an aside, I’ll add that I made this demo four years ago before I really got the hang of things, so the flow of the reciting tones is not ideal.)
Just in case the recessional hymn isn’t familiar to you:
Here’s a playlist for the Tchesnokov that we started work on (and that I would like to sing on Tuesday for those who can make it):