Trinity (C • 2025)
Hi Friends,
Here’s the plan for this weekend:
Entrance Hymn: Holy Holy Holy (NICÆA)
Psalm 8: (mp3 below)
Festal Alleluia
Offertory Antiphon: Fr. Weber #1739 (Option ii)
Offertory Hymn: All Hail Adored Trinity (OLD 100TH)
Communion Antiphon: Fr. Weber #1743 (Option ii)
Motet 1: Of Thy Mystical Supper
Motet 2: Tantum Ergo (JJR)
Communion Hymn: Athanasian Creed (Quiqumque Vult) to the anglican chant tone styled after James O’Donnell.
Recessional Hymn: Sing Praise to Our Creator (GOTT VATER SEI GEPREISEN)
Communion:
Recessional Hymn Melody:
Pentecost 2025
Hi Friends,
Here’s the plan for this weekend. I will have a few scores for you to make it easier for you to sing.
Entrance Hymn: Come, Holy Ghost to the tune of LAMBILOTTE
Psalm 104 • “Lord, send out Your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.”
SEQUENCE: Veni Sancte Spiritus
We will sing the normal chant version, and I will fluff it up a little with organ at the beginning and the end.Festal Alleluia
Offertory Hymn: Veni Creator Spiritus*
The Schola will sing the first verse in Latin, and then everyone will join in the translation starting on verse 2. I have new copies of this which will make it easier for you to sing the Latin.
Communion Antiphon: Factus Est / Suddenly there was heard…* (see the very bottom for a recording)
First Time: JJR sings Latin, then you all repeat refrain in English
Verse 1: Men
Verse 2: Women
Communion Anthem: May Thy Holy Spirit (Tchesnokov)
Communion Hymn: O Holy Spirit, Now Descend on Me to the tune EVENTIDE (a.k.a. Abide with Me )
Recessional Hymn: Come Thou Font of Every Blessing to the tune of CWM RHONDA.
SEQUENCE
This occurs just before the Gospel Acclamation. I’ll fluff up the front and back ends with a little organ, otherwise we will just sing the chant with light organ underneath.
Here’s a lovely version that is a bit fluffed up with other stuff, but it is as much fun to look at as to listen to!
Communion Antiphon:
Recessional Hymn:
Looking ahead, you might want to be listening to:
Ascension • 2025
Greetings all—
Here are our practice sources for this coming Sunday. Don’t forget about the “lookahead” section at the bottom; we have feast day after feast day (and two ordinations!) coming up.
Entrance Antiphon Hymn: O Ye Men of Galilee to NETTLETON
Introit: Viri Galilæi (Demo)
Psalm: 47 “God mounts His throne to shouts of joy; a blare of trumpets for the Lord.” (SATB Demo) (Descant) (Alto) (Tenor) (Bass)
Gospel Acclamation: Festal Alleluia (a.k.a. Alleluia for the Feast of Christ the King) (Abbreviated Demo) (Soprano) (Alto) (Tenor) (Bass)
*Double-check to make sure you have the coda prepared!*
Offertory Antiphon (I): “God goes up with shouts of joy…” (Lumen Christi / Source & Summit) (Demo)
Offertory Hymn (II): God Rises up to Heav’n Above to ASCENDIT DEUS (see below)
Communion Antiphon: “Behold, I am with you always…” (Source & Summit) (Demo)
Communion Special: More Love to Thee, O Christ
Communion Hymn: Do Not Stand and Stare in Wonder to THAXTED
Recessional Hymn: See the Conqueror Mounts in Triumph! to NETTLETON
Here is the (only slightly) simplified version of the introit that we sang last year. I have printed this for you.
Time stamps are linked at the top of the page, as well as the video description.
We will use this Alleluia for all the upcoming feast days, so learn it well!
Time stamps are linked at the top of the page, as well as the video description.
Sequence:
Organ plays intro
Cantor sings refrain once
People & Choir respond once (with choir in parts)
Choir sings verse a cappella
People and Choir respond twice, before the Choir continues into the coda.
Also checkout the second video which has slowed down instrumental versions of the coda.
NB: the following recording is organ-only, but in the time stamps you can find “learning speed” (slowed down) solos of each voice part for the coda, which may be helpful to some of you.
Offertory Hymn:
Communion Anthem:
Live performance from ordination last year:
Fully animated JJR version:
Communion Hymn DESCANT:
This has the ordination text, but it still properly demonstrates the descant.
LOOK AHEAD
〰️
LOOK AHEAD 〰️
May Thy Holy Spirit • This one is for NEXT WEEK! (Pentecost)
Live Performance Version:
Playlist of Practice Tracks:
Brass Notes (Ordination 2025)
Gents, once again, thank you for agreeing to play for us. I’m compiling this list with some basic information and audio samples to help give you context for your parts if you need/want it.
Warmups will begin at 8:30am Saturday, and I will have chairs and stands ready for you. I will also have spare copies of all parts, as well as corrected copies of Jesu Joy (which is lacking a proper key signature) and the recessional hymn, which has now been paired down from 4 verses to 3.
Dress code is concert black if you have it, otherwise, black slacks and white top with suit coat if you have one.
What follows is more/less the order we will proceed, with various notes and sample audio.
Prelude: (Trombone I / Organ only)
Processional Hymn: Come Holy Ghost (Lambilotte)
—main thing of note here is the repeat structures, and then V5 is a reharmonization. We briefly flirt with the minor mode as we sing “drive far away our deadly foe”. Give it a brassy bite.Kyrie & Gloria you are silent.
Psalm 89: it is unmetered music based on chant. This will likely be an unusual experience for you as a player. To get a sense of the flow, please check out this demo; note the “boop” at the beginning of each refrain.
Gospel Acclamation: Chepponis’ famous Festival Alleluia:
Offertory: Totus tuus — the sequence is: gentle brass intro, the cantor demos it once with organ, we all repeat the refrain back, and then commences the march of verse/refrain/verse/refrain. Once the verses start, every subsequent refrain is sung through twice each time, and you play on the repeats (second pass).
The choir will then do the heavy lifting for the next long while until communion begins. You can just relax for a while.
Communion I: Jesu, Joy / Jesu Bleibet. The classic Bach; brass plays the chorale with the singers, punctuated by the interludes on the organ which carry the other orchestral parts. I will give cues to the choir for each entrance so they don’t have to track the organ part so closely. Your entrances are all the same.
There will be a brief hymn in burmese with just a cantrix and myself.
Communion III: Laudate Dominum — same as during Totus Tuus: brass intro, cantrix + organ demo, all respond including brass, then verse/refrain/verse/refrain. While your playing can be full-bodied, I would like to make sure you stay behind the choir so their singing in parts can be heard.
Recessional Hymn: O God Beyond All Praising; if you are familiar with Holst’s The Planets then you know this hymn. Your parts included 4 verses, however it’s been paired down to 3. (music is the same). I will have appropriate copies for you so we stay in sync. Basic intro, and then an interlude and fancy verse 3; pretty standard fare. We will really lean in on this one, especially the final verse.
Postlude: Finale Jubilante by Healey Willan. Here’s a basic recording so you can get a sense of the piece; NB: I’ve transposed it down to a better key so the trumpets are not playing in B major.
Here is a key-correct demo in case you want to practice your entrances with it:
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
UPDATE:
Here is a demo of the descant for the final verse: