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 29 JUNE (SS PETER & PAUL)

Opening: Thou art the Christ, O Lord (Croft’s 136th) NEH 172
Offertory: The Church’s one foundation (Aurelia) EH 489
Communion: In our day of thanksgiving (St Catherine’s Court) NEH 208
Final: Faith of our fathers! living still (St Finbar) BCP 422 with additional verse
Setting: Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei (Missa Kyrie Fons Bonitatis) | Gloria, Credo: Missa de Angelis

SUNDAY 6 JULY (TRINITY III) (14C)

Opening: Christ is the world’s true light (Nun Danket, NEH 413) NEH 494
Offertory: O God of earth and altar (King’s Lynn) EH 562
Communion: In the Cross of Christ I glory (Wychbold) NEH 379
Final: Jerusalem the golden (Ewing) EH 412
Setting: Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei (Missa Orbis Factor) | Credo (Merbecke)

SUNDAY 13 JULY (TRINITY IV) (15C)

Opening: Lord of all hopefulness (Slane) NEH 239
Offertory: There’s a wideness in God’s mercy (Cross of Jesus) NEH 461
Communion: Immortal love, for ever full (Bishopthorpe) EH 408
Final: Love Divine, all loves excelling (Blaenwern) NEH 408
Setting: Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei (Missa Orbis Factor) | Credo (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.