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

17 MAY (SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION)

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)

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)

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)

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.