At the Name of Jesus - Kings' Weston. The text based on the Philippians reading.

Schubert: Antiphons for the blessing of Palms
All Glory Laud &c
Passion according to Matthew & Schütz (did you mean that "Glory be to Jesus"?)
off. O Sacred Head
comm. Pater si non potest chanted & followed by Were You There

I'm having problem deciding on the music for Palm Sunday.

Are you new at this parish?
I mean - is this your first Palm Sunday as Music Director there?

I only ask because:
If it is, I strongly recommend using whatever piece of music they used last year.


(Or, possibly, whatever piece of music they used every single year forever until last year when that other guy they ended up firing did some other thing that no one had heard before and didn't like anyway and why can't we ever sing the songs I like because you know I just go to Mass to try to find some nourishment and I really feel, you know, I mean it's not like I want the music to just be all about me and the things I like but we come to church to praise God and sing and it's so much more joyful when we can all sing and participate together and it's not like I'm saying there's anything wrong with gregorian chant or anything if you like that sort of thing i mean if it moves you more power to you and everything i'm just saying the hymns we used to sing really SPEAK TO ME....)

I've been rather sneakily doing some "focus group" work where I've been practising before mass or even during the week and seeing if anyone recognises it. I'm not the DoM in this parish. The DoM has effectively only had directorship over the main Sunday Morning Choir and I've been asked to assist by *ahem* "improving" *ahem* the repertoire sung by the various other "choirs" on Saturday and Sunday Evenings.

For "Glory be to Jesus" I'm using CASWALL 6.5.6.5 as it appears in The Catholic Hymn Book published by Gracewing (F major) The New English Hymnal has it up in G, which I feel is too high.

I list two communion hymns because the previous practice of the parish was to have a communion and a "reflection hymn." The GIRM denotes this to be a "thanksgiving hymn" so I just get around the issue by calling them Communion I and Communion II. I have occasionally needed to go as far as three full hymns at communion. (Would love to have a chant antiphon then hymn, but it isn't happening any time soon in this church)

Entrance: All Glory, Laud and Honour (St Theodulph)
Offertory: ???
Communion I: O Cross of Christ (St Flavian) Stanbrook Abbey 1974
Communion II:Glory be to Jesus for Communion (Caswall)

I'm asking for hymns as at the moment the instruction I have been given is to pick appropriate hymns and lead congregational singing.

The parish isn't entirely averse to small groups singing motets or anthems. I tested this out a few weeks back and the congregation were amazed by a small group singing a motet for them to "actively listen to" and thought that it would be wonderful if we did it again.

Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak, I looked for sympathy, but there was none; for comforters, and I found none. Rather they put gall in my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.Psalm 69:21-22

Is the proper offertory text. That being said, it also seems like an appropriate place for O Sacred Head Surrounded.

For recessional, consider “The royal banners forward go” with an appropriate Long Metre tune. (Hymnal 1940 has PARKER, which sings well enough but gets no love.) A fantastic hymn for beginning Holy Week, IMO.

For the offertory … there are several polyphonic settings of “Improperium” on CPDL.

In my diocese, the practice has always been that Palm Sunday msss exits in Silence to mark the start of Holy Week.