Holy Thursday (2025)
Ordo:
No Disgrace Wast Too Abhorrent (Picardy / “Let all mortal flesh keep silence”)
Simple Kyrie
Gloria from Missa Simplex by Proulx (Video)
Psalm 116, “Our blessing cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ” (same as this video, but with different verse texts)
Gospel Acclamation (Meditabor in mandatis tuis)
Foot Washing Antiphons: (full playlist)
Ubi Caritas by Ola Gjeilo (abridged)
Ubi Caritas (chant hymn) — time permitting
Communion Chants:
Hoc Corpus (Matt?)
Dominus Jesus (Ron?)
Communion Hymn: Adoro te devote (Pluth translation)
Full Playlist:
(Each video contains all voice parts in the time stamps.)
Palm Sunday (2025)
Hi Friends—
Here’s my (very late) ordo for you. I’m just going to list everything as links; this is faster and it’s easier to read, I think. Just click on whatever you need.
All Glory, Laud, and Honor (here’s our specific arrangement)
[no entrance antiphon]
NB: Kyrie comes immediately after All Glory, Laud, and Honor (it feels funny to transition this way)
Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?!”
Offertory Motet: My heart expected reproach and misery… (2.0)
Communion:
JJR chants antiphon.
Communion Hymn: Stricken, Smitten & Afflicted to the tune of God of Mercy and Compassion
Post-Communion Meditation: O Sacred Head (Passion Chorale NB: there are links to each voice part in the video description if you want to hear your part)
Recessional Hymn: The Royal Standard Forward Goes (Jesu Dulcis Memoria)
Lent V (C • 2025)
Greetings all—
Here is our ordo for this weekend:
Entrance Antiphon: Source & Summit (mp3 below)
Missa XVII (a full suite of practice tracks are available here or on the Cathedral website here)
Psalm 126: The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy! (Playlist)
Gospel Acclamation: Salvation, glory, and power… (Demo)
Offertory Antiphon: Fr. Weber; James will chant.
Offertory Antiphon Hymn: God of Mercy and Compassion to PERGOLESI
Communion Antiphon: Nemo te conedemnavit, mulier? (mp3 below)
*Sadly, I discovered an error pertaining to my setting of the communio regarding Lazarus… that is for next year… so we get to sing a chant (in English) about the adulterous woman instead, and will alternate between men and women following the cues of the score.Communion Motet: Miserere by Lotti, arr. JJR (Playlist)
Communion Hymn: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Recessional Hymn: O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done?! to the tune NEUMARK (mp3 below)
Source & Summit
Offertory Hymn Tune:
Communion Antiphon:
Communion Motet:
Recessional Hymn Tune:
Some practice tracks: (piano booping over a recording)
Lent IV (C • 2025) “Lætare”
Greetings all—
Before we get started: one last reminder for those of you who are able to attend Chrism Mass (Tuesday, April 15, 2pm) to please use the signup form on this page to let me know you’re coming.
Also, please note that we will NOT have rehearsal this coming Wednesday, April 3, but will move rehearsal to FRIDAY (for those who can attend).
Lastly, a BIG THANK YOU to Stephanie and Tony for going with me to Holy Family Radio (and, of course, thank you to Holy Family Radio for hosting us!). We had a very successful interview. If you missed it but would like to listen in, here’s the link:
Here is our ordo for this weekend:
Entrance Antiphon Hymn: Rejoice, Jerusalem, Rejoice! to ELLACOMBE
Entrance Antiphon: Source & Summit (mp3 below)
Missa XVII (a full suite of practice tracks are available here or on the Cathedral website here)
Psalm 34: Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Playlist)
Gospel Acclamation: Salvation, glory, and power… (Demo)
Offertory Antiphon: Fr. Weber; James will chant.
Offertory Antiphon Hymn: O Prodigal, Prodigal to FOUNDATION
Communion Antiphon: Fr. Weber #476 (mp3 below)
*Men will sing the first half of each verse, Women will take over at the asterisks. This is for all verses and the Gloria Patri.Communion Motet: O Salutaris Hostia by Perosi (Playlist)
Communion Hymn: Afflictions, Tho’ They Seem Sever (Prodigal Son) to the tune NEW BRITAIN (aka “Amazing Grace”)
Recessional Hymn: To Christ, the Prince of Peace to the tune SWABIA
Source & Summit
Offertory Hymn Tune:
Recessional Hymn Tune:
Some practice tracks: (piano booping over a recording)
Lent III (C • 2025)
Greetings all—
Before we get started: could those of you who are able to attend Chrism Mass (Tuesday, April 15, 2pm), please use the signup form on this page to let me know you’re coming? I know not all of you can make it, although I certainly hope many of you will! All the requisite PT’s are there and ready to go. But it will help me keep track of everything if you can let me know via the form that you’ll be there; then I’ll have your data in the same place and in the same format as everyone else’s. Thanks!
Here is our ordo for this weekend:
Entrance Antiphon: Source & Summit (mp3 below)
Missa XVII (a full suite of practice tracks are available here or on the Cathedral website here)
Psalm 103: The Lord is kind and merciful. (Playlist)
NB: the practice track has a different set of verses, but the music is the same.
Gospel Acclamation: Salvation, glory, and power… (Demo)
Offertory Antiphon: Fr. Weber; James will chant.
Offertory Antiphon Hymn: The precepts of the Lord are Right to THIRD MODE MELODY
Communion Antiphon: Fr. Weber #439 (mp3 below)
Communion Hymn 1: The Lord of Earth and Sky (Parable of the fig tree) to the tune LOVE UNKNOWN
Communion Hymn 2: My Jesus, As Thou Wilt to the tune PASSION CHORALE
Recessional Hymn: extracted verses from The Seven Dolors of Our Lady (starts, “O Thou Who hangèst on the Tree”) to the tune ERHALT UNS HERR
Source & Summit; Verse 2 is previewed in the demo.
Offertory Hymn Tune:
Communion Hymn Tunes:
Recessional Hymn Tune:
Some practice tracks: (piano booping over a recording)
Clarion Call: Chrism Mass Choir • St. Augustine Cathedral (2025)
Sign up for the 2025 Chrism Mass diocesan Choir, as well as access the practice materials to help you prepare from home.
Greetings all—
If you are on this page, then you are interested in (or committed to) singing at the 2025 Chrism Mass at St. Augustine’s Cathedral, Kalamazoo. Thank you, and welcome!
Please Note: The Chrism Mass will be held at 2:00pm on Tuesday, April 15th.
This is a change from what has been done in years past, and this may preclude some people from being able to attend.
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.
Practice tracks are available below the form to help you prepare from home.
Attire will simply be “Sunday best”.
We will have a warmup rehearsal at 11am the day of Chrism Mass, break for lunch, and then return to sing for Mass.
If you have any questions for me, please send me an email.
I look forward to singing with you all!
Processional Hymn:
Church of God, Elect and Glorious
Sung to the tune of “Abbots Leigh”. Here is a demo of that tune:
The Entrance Antiphon will be sung after the processional hymn.
Gloria: Missa VIII (‘de Angelis’)
Note: we will sing it with more energy than this (and a faster tempo) but this is a good practice track in terms of being very clear, with each phrase is easy to hear and digest.
Psalm: 89(88) “Forever I will Sing…”
Please Note: the demo edition here features different verse text from that which is sung at the Chrism Mass, however the music is the same. (Click here to see the version with correct verse text.)
Gospel Acclamation:
“Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.”
Please learn your harmony for the refrain. The verse text chanted by the choir is different from that which is featured in the video, however the melody is the same.
You may use the MP3’s embedded below, or click on the following hyperlinks to be taken to a practice track video on YouTube for your particular voice part:
Chant during the Procession of the Oils:
O Redeemer, Hear This Anthem
If you are new to chanting, do not fear! We will be singing in English, and I will support you with a gentle organ accompaniment. Do listen to this a few different times to really get a feel for the flow of the chant. In particular, note the groupings of twos and threes.
Offertory Motet:
Anima Christi • Dominican Liturgical Center
(Score)
Here is the official recording of this work. Please note that the edition we will sing has a few minor modifications.
Ordinary:
Please Note: The first “Sanctus” and “Agnus Dei” will be intoned by the cantor alone, with all joining in after the asterisk (just like in the recordings). This is known as an “incipit” and is a exceedingly ancient practice.
Communion Antiphon
Verses will be chanted antiphonally between men and women. You sing each reciting tone and only apply the formula once the font changes.
There are additional verses, not shown in this preview image.
Communion Motet: If Ye Love Me • Tallis
Everyone’s favorite… and you likely have all sung it before!
You can find individual voice practice tracks below. (Score)
Communion Hymn:
I Dwell a Captive of This Heart
To the tune of Thomas Tallis’s “Third Mode Melody”. (Score) Here is a lovely rendition of this famous tune, however we will be singing a different text from that which is featured in the recording.
And here is an organ-only version of Mr. Richardson playing so you can get a feel for exactly what our flow will be. Note the difference between the phrases that end on three beats, verses those that only have two and a lift (tick mark).
Saint Michæl the Archangel Prayer
I hope that you will come to love this one just as much as we do! Here’s a thrilling way to sing the St. Michæl prayer that is sure to bring a smile to your face as it does to ours. (Score)
The key to singing this prayer is to use natural, speech rhythm. Please listen to the recordings once or twice over to really get a feel for the flow, since not every rhythm is notated.
You may use the MP3’s embedded below, or click on the following hyperlinks to be taken to a practice track video on YouTube for your particular voice part. (Sopranos, I did my best!)
Recessional Hymn:
Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim!
Sung to the tune of “Laudate Dominum” by Parry. Here is a demo of that tune: