Sacred Music

SACRED MUSIC plays a primary role in the worshipping and missionary life of St John Henry’s. As a community conscious of our role to preserve and promote the treasures of the Anglican musical patrimony within the Catholic Church, the vast treasury of English sacred and choral music and hymnody is maintained and nurtured alongside the older Roman usage of Gregorian chant and plainsong.

As a parish, we take seriously the Second Vatican Council’s clear reminder, that:

The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services. But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action. - Sacrosanctum Concilium 116

From Monday to Saturday the Church’s daily public morning prayer of Mattins - psalms, canticles, hymn, and lections - is prayed in traditional English, and on Sundays the Solemn Mass, which is the highlight of our week as a parish family, is enriched by congregational, plainsong, and polyphonic settings of the Mass in English and Latin, together with anthems, motets, and hymns from the Anglican and Catholic traditions. Our monthly music list below gives you something of the flavour of our deep commitment to the ministry of sacred music within the life of the Ordinariate.

St John Henry’s is blessed to have in its possession a first-class relic of St Cecilia, early martyr of the Church, and patron saint of musicians.

He who sings well prays twice.
- St Augustine of Hippo

Our choirmaster and singers welcome interest in the opportunity to sing to the glory of God at St John Henry’s. The choir, made up of paid and volunteer singers, rehearse on Friday evenings and sing for all Solemn Masses, Evensongs, and other special services within the life of our parochial community. For further information please contact our Director of Music, Mr Scott Vannan.

Music List

SUNDAY 18 JANUARY (EPIPHANY II)

Opening: From the eastern mountains (Evelyns, NEH 338) NEH 50
Offertory: Songs of thankfulness and praise (St Edmund) EH 47
Communion: Brightest and best of the sons of the morning (Epiphany) NEH 49
Final: Jesus shall reign where’er the sun (Truro) EH 420
Setting: Orbis Factor, Merbecke

SUNDAY 25 JANUARY (EPIPHANY III)

Opening: Thou whose almighty Word (Moscow) EH 553
Offertory: O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray (Song I) NEH 302
Communion: Jesus calls us! – o’er the tumult (Merton, EH 5) EH 205
Final: Alleluya, song of sweetness (Tantum Ergo) EH 63
Setting: Orbis Factor, Merbecke

SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY (SEPTUAGESIMA)

Opening: Fight the good fight with all thy might (Duke Street) BCP 549
Offertory: I heard the voice of Jesus say (Kingsfold) NEH 376
Communion: Blest are the pure in heart (Franconia) EH 370
Final: King of glory, King of peace (Gwalchmai) EH 424
Setting: Merbecke

MONDAY 2 FEBRUARY (CANDLEMAS)

Opening: Hail to the Lord who comes (Old 120th) EH 209
Procession: All prophets hail thee (Christe Sanctorum EH 165) EH 208
Offertory: Ye who own the faith of Jesus (Daily Daily) NEH 188
Communion: O Sion, open wide thy gates (Bristol, BCP 65) BCP 189
Final: Sing of Mary, pure and lowly (Hermon) BCP 807
Setting: Alme Pater

SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY (SEXAGESIMA)

Opening: He who would valiant be (Monks Gate) EH 402
Offertory: Just as I am, without one plea (Saffron Walden) EH 316
Communion: Oft in danger, oft in woe (University College) EH 467
Final: Love Divine, all loves excelling (Blaenwern) NEH 408
Setting: Merbecke

SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY (QUINQUAGESIMA)

Opening: Praise to the Holiest in the height (Billing) CHB 260
Offertory: Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness (Schmücke Dich) EH 306
Communion: As pants the hart for cooling streams (Martyrdom) EH 367
Final: Jerusalem the golden (Ewing) EH 412
Setting: Merbecke

WEDNESDAY 18 FEBRUARY (ASH WEDNESDAY)

Opening: Forty days and forty nights (Aus Der Tiefe) EH 73
Offertory: My Song is love unknown (Love Unknown) NEH 86
Communion: Lord Jesus, think on me (Southwell) EH 77
Final: Take up thy cross, the Saviour said (Breslau) EH 484
Setting: XVIIa, Merbecke

SUNDAY 22 FEBRUARY (LENT I)

Opening: Forty days and forty nights (Aus Der Tiefe) EH 73
Offertory: My Song is love unknown (Love Unknown) NEH 86
Communion: O dearest Lord, thy sacred head (Belmont) NEH 89
Final: Take up thy cross, the Saviour said (Breslau) EH 484
Setting: XVIIa, Merbecke

Christmas Carolling

Every year, just before Christmas, our parish enjoys an evening of traditional carolling in downtown Victoria.

This is an important witness, at this special time of year, to remind the people of our city of the real meaning of the coming Christmas season. It also serves as an opportunity to bear witness to the beauty of our faith through the timeless music and theologically rich words of the carols we sing.