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

15 MARCH (MOTHERING SUNDAY)
3.30 pm Solemn Mass with the Blessing of Simnel Cake & Daffodils

Opening: The God of love my Shepherd is (University) EH 93
Offertory: Ye who own the faith of Jesus (Daily, Daily) NEH 188
Communion: For Mary, Mother of the Lord (St Botolph) NEH 385
Final: Sing we of the blessed Mother (Abbot’s Leigh) NEH 185
Setting: XVIIa, Merbecke

22 MARCH (PASSION SUNDAY)
2.30 pm The Litany in Procession and Solemn Mass

Opening: O Sacred head, sore wounded (Passion Chorale) EH 102
Offertory: When I survey the wondrous Cross (Rockingham) EH 107
Communion: How sweet the name of Jesus sounds (St Peter) EH 405
Final: Lift high the Cross (Crucifer) NEP 641
Setting: XVIIa, Merbecke

SUNDAY 29 MARCH (PALM SUNDAY)
3.30 pm Solemn Mass, with the Blessing of Palms, (outdoor) Palm Procession,
and the Singing of St Matthew’s Passion

Procession 1: All glory, laud, and honour (St Theodolph) EH 622
Procession 2: Ride on! Ride on in majesty! (Winchester New) EH 620
Procession 3: Onward, Christian soldiers (St Gertrude) EH 643
Procession 4: Crown him with many crowns (Diademata) CP 166
Procession 5: O worship the King (Hanover) EH 466
Before the Passion: Glory be to Jesus (Caswall) NEH 38
Offertory: My Song is love unknown (Love Unknown) NEH 86
Final: The royal banners forward go (Gonfalon Royal, NEH 128ii) NEH 79
Setting: XVIIa, Merbecke

2 APRIL (MAUNDY THURSDAY)
10 pm Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Stripping of the Altar,
Procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose and The Watch (until 6.30 am)

Opening: We hail thy presence glorious (Offertorium) NEH 310
Offertory: And now, O Father, mindful of the love (Unde et Memores) NEH 273
Communion: My God, and is thy Table spread (Rockingham) EH Appendix 45
Procession: Of the glorious body telling (Grafton, NEH 202) NEH 268

3 APRIL (GOOD FRIDAY)
10 am The Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday, with the Singing of St John’s Passion,
Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion from the Blessed Sacrament reserved

Before the Passion: There is a green hill far away (Horsley) EH 106
Entrance of the Cross: When I survey the wondrous Cross (Rockingham) EH 107

SUNDAY 4 APRIL (EASTER DAWN)
5.30 am The Easter Vigil, with the Blessing of the New Fire, Paschal Praeconium,
Litany of the Saints, Renewal of Baptismal Vows, and First Mass of Easter,
followed by a Parish Breakfast

Offertory: At the Lamb’s high feast we sing (Salzburg) EH 128
Communion: This Joyful Eastertide (This Joyful Eastertide) NEH 121
Final: Ye choirs of new Jerusalem (St Fulbert) EH 139

12 APRIL (LOW SUNDAY)
2.30 pm Solemn Mass

Opening: The strife is o’er, the battle done (Victory) EH 625
Offertory: Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya! O sons and daughters, let us sing (O Filii et Filiae) BCP 162
Communion: Love’s redeeming work is done (Savannah) NEH 113
Final: The Day of Resurrection (Ellacombe) EH 137

19 APRIL (EASTER III)
2.30 pm Solemn Mass

Opening: Alleluya! Alleluya! Hearts to heaven and voices raise (Lux Eoi) NEH 103
Offertory: Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour (St Osmund) BCP 235
Communion: Good Christian men, rejoice and sing (Vulpius) NEH 107
Final: He is risen, he is risen (All Saints) BCP 157

26 APRIL (GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY)
2.30 pm Solemn Mass

Opening: The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want (Crimond) NEH 459
Offertory: Hail Redeemer, King divine! (King Divine) NEP 614
Communion: Loving Shepherd of thy sheep (Buckland) EH Appendix 67
Final: The King of love my Shepherd is (St Columba) EH 490

3 MAY (EASTER V) (Battle of the Atlantic Sunday)
2.30 pm Solemn Mass

Opening: Come, ye faithful, raise the strain (Ave Virgo Virginum) EH 131
Offertory: ‘Welcome, happy morning!’ age to age shall say (Hermas) BCP 168
Communion: Now the green blade riseth (Noel Nouvelet) NEH 115
Final: This Joyful Eastertide (This Joyful Eastertide) NEH 121

10 MAY (ROGATION SUNDAY) (Mother’s Day)
2.30 pm Solemn Mass

Opening: Lord, in thy Name thy servants plead (University) BCP 171
Offertory: Christ the Lord is risen again! (Orientis Partibus) EH 129
Communion: O God of Bethel, by whose hand (Martyrdom) BCP 429
Final: Judge eternal, throned in splendour (Rhuddlan) EH 423

THURSDAY 14 MAY (ASCENSION DAY)
6.30 pm Solemn Mass

Opening: Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluya! (Llanfair) EH 143
Offertory: See the Conqueror mounts in triumph (Rex Gloriae) NEH 132
Communion: Rejoice, the Lord is King (Gopsal) EH 476
Final: Alleluya, sing to Jesus (Hyfrydol) EH 301

17 MAY (SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION)
3.30 pm Solemn Mass

Opening: Love’s redeeming work is done (Savannah) NEH 113
Offertory: Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluya! (Llanfair) EH 143
Communion: King of glory, King of peace (Gwalchmai) EH 424
Final: See the Conqueror mounts in triumph (Rex Gloriae) NEH 132

24 MAY (WHITSUNDAY) (The Day of Pentecost)
2.30 pm Solemn Mass

Opening: Come down, O Love divine (Down Ampney) EH 152
Offertory: Come, thou holy Paraclete (Veni Sancte Spiritus) EH 155
Communion: Love of the Father, love of God the Son (Song 22) EH 438
Final: O thou who camest from above (Hereford) NEH 431

31 MAY (TRINITY SUNDAY)
2.30 pm Solemn Mass

Opening: Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! (Nicaea) EH 162
Offertory: I bind unto myself today (St Patrick’s Breastplate) EH 212
Communion: How shall I sing that Majesty (Coe Fen) NEP 699
Final: Holy God, we praise thy name (Grosser Gott)

7 JUNE (CORPUS CHRISTI)
3 pm Solemn Mass, (outdoor) Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, and Benediction

Opening: We hail thy presence glorious (Offertorium) NEH 310
Offertory: O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray (Song I) NEH 302
Communion: Sweet Sacrament divine (Divine Mysteries) NEH 307
Procession of the Blessed Sacrament 1: Christians sing the Incarnation (Daily, Daily) MMHB 302
Procession of the Blessed Sacrament 2: Alleluya, sing to Jesus (Hyfrydol) EH 301
Procession of the Blessed Sacrament 3: Stand up! - stand up for Jesus! (Morning Light) EH 581
Procession of the Blessed Sacrament 4: Hail, Redeemer, King divine (King Divine) NEP 614
Procession of the Blessed Sacrament 5: Lift high the Cross (Crucifer) NEP 641
Final: All for Jesus! all for Jesus! (All for Jesus) NEH 272

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.