I don`t understand why it would be a cause for regret that the organ could not accompany the singing at a Requiem as it is meant to be sung without accompaniment but it`s good to see a regular EF Mass at a cathedral. How enlightened.
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY
For Immediate Release
3 January 2008
Traditional Rite Returns to Lancaster Cathedral
After an absence of many years, and thanks to the Motu Proprio of our Holy Father, a Sung Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite was offered in the Cathedral of St Peter, Lancaster on 11 November 2007 – Remembrance Sunday.
The celebrant was Canon Stephen Shield, Cathedral Dean. Father Michael Docherty and Fr Peter Groody sat in choir. The servers were under the direction of the MC, Michael Massey, and Andrew Plasom-Scott conducted the choir who sang the Mass for the Dead without accompaniment as the cathedral organ is awaiting restoration.
The congregation, made up mainly of parishioners but including LMS members and visitors, numbered over 140.
Canon Shield offered a further Mass in the cathedral at 12.15 pm on Christmas Day.
It is now confirmed that commencing on Sunday 24 February, Canon Shield will offer a regular fourth Sunday Traditional Mass in the cathedral at 12.15 pm. It is planned that some of these Masses will be sung.
Julian Chadwick, Chairman of the Latin Mass Society, said, “Slowly but inevitably the Traditional Rite is returning to the altars of the Church. The LMS is immensely grateful to Canon Shield for agreeing to offer regular Sunday Masses. The LMS would also like to record its thanks to Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue of Lancaster, not least for his recent very fine teaching document on the need to provide a full and rigorous Catholic education for our youngsters. The renovation of the Faith in England and Wales is an urgent necessity and Bishop Patrick and Canon Stephen are showing the way.”
For further information, please contact John Medlin, General Manager, or Yvonne Windsor, LMS Office Administrator, on (T) 020 7404 7284; (F) 020 7831 5585;
E-mail: thelatinmasssociety@snmail.co.uk
3 comments:
As the director of the ad hoc schola for the Mass, I can confirm that the lack of an organ was no cause for regret. Generally I prefer to sing chant unaccompanied, unless one has a very skilled accompanist. The average organist is not used to accompanying chant, and the result is often unsatisfactory. I intend that the future Sung Masses at Lancaster will be unaccompanied unless and until I find a suitably skilled accompanist.
Good luck with the search for an accompanist. I`m delighted to hear about this Mass at the cathedral as you may gather. Is Fr Groody also on the cathedral staff? He was my year at Ushaw and, like me, had been in the Discalced Carmelites before joining a diocese.
LMS press releases on Requiems have not been that up on the music of late. The one for the Westminster cathedral Mass failed to mention the Victoria Requiem was sung and simply spoke of there being a plainchant Mass setting.
Dear Father,
It seems I'm catching up with some old posts.
Fr. Groody is at a parish in Morecambe. He was previously at Gt. Eccleston, where he welcomed the LMS at masses which were (I think) once a month but which have now transferred to Cottam, near Preston.
Fr. Docherty is at Our Lady's, St. Annes, where he celebrates a traditional mass once a month.
Canon Shield is a great friend to the traditional mass. We are lucky to have him.
Simon
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