Singing during the anointing at Confirmation
  • henry
    Posts: 244
    Today we had Confirmation for 78 candidates. The bishop starting anointing exactly at 4pm and finished exactly at 5pm. Through it all, the poor choir sang and sang (and the poor organist played and played). What do you do? Do you involve the congregation during the anointing in some way? Do you have periods of silence? I think 78 is too many for one Mass.
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 537
    Oh, to only have 78! During Confirmation "season" this year, we confirmed over 1,000 at the Cathedral. They were split between 11 liturgies (Liturgy of the Word with Confirmation—not Mass). The largest this year was about 140 confirmandi, the smallest around 45, and the average around 95. The most we've done in one service that I've played for was 165! When the building was being renovated in 2000-2001, all 1,000 were done at once at a massive service in the coliseum.

    To further complicate things, the instruction we have from our Bishop is that the music should be continuous, without interruption, and all in the same general style. Over the years, there have been many approaches to this. In the beginning, that meant one song was used for the entire time. That only lasted a few years! Presently, we'll have 2-3 cantors singing during the anointing, and the refrains for all of the music used are printed in the program. We also have a trumpet player at each liturgy. We'll use 3-5 songs--usually one Taizé, one or two in Spanish (we used Piedras Vivas this year--quite nice), and the rest general spirit related songs. One that we've used in the past that is very long is Michael Joncas' All Who Are Led by the Spirit. We'll generally break things up greatly—I'll play a verse or so, then I'll add the trumpet for a bit, then the cantors will sing, the rinse and repeat. Some years, the keys are close, some years, the modulations are a little trickier...
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Last time I sang for a confirmation (probably 40 confirmandi) we simply sang the veni creator accompanied and the organist improvised in between each verse for a minute or so, and eventually timed things that the amen was chanted as the bishop was walking from the faldstool to the sedalia. Works perfectly, and if the organist can improvise well and has a good sense of liturgical timing (ours does), it works great with almost any (reasonable) number of confirmandi.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Wow, Ben, I've walked between Faldstool and Sedalia, and that's no small sojourn. That must be one heckuvan "Amen." I presumed you used Jester Hairston's "Amen" from "Lillies of the Field.
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 946
    We had 15 confirmations at the Cathedral this spring, averaging about 100 candidates per. I've done it several ways, but you absolutely cannot sing for the entire thing. It has to be covered, at least partially, with instrumental music.

    I've used Veni, Creator Spiritus, in alternation with O Holy Spirit, By Whose Breath, both in alternation with Titelouze's 4 movement setting of the same tune.

  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 537
    Interspersing the Duruflé Veni Creator variations (other than the last) is a good option also. I did that at an ordination a few years ago, and it was lovely.
    Thanked by 2Andrew Motyka Ben
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,394
    Interspersing the Duruflé Veni Creator variations (other than the last)

    Three years ago, at the Pentecost Sunday service at Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta (the premier "Baptispalian" church in that fair city), the men of the choir sang the Veni Creator Spiritus in Latin and in alternation with the Duruflé variations. But the organist, who had recently earned his MM from Yale, played the final variation as well.

    Back to the anointings: A bishop who cannot anoint 3 (or 4) confirmandi per minute needs to take a refresher course at the USCCB's "New Bishops' School."
    Thanked by 1bkenney27
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Back to the anointings: A bishop who cannot anoint 3 (or 4) confirmandi per minute needs to take a refresher course at the USCCB's "New Bishops' School."


    Thankfully someone said this. I have seen some bishops take a very long time by spending time with each confirmandi.
  • henry
    Posts: 244
    Marc: your suggestions are very helpful. Who publishes "Piedras Vivas"? Thank you.
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    This will not solve the time issue, but interspersing the even-numbered verses of the plainchant Veni Creator with Asola's chorale is yet another option. It was done at the conclave last year. Score by Asola here.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUf3zKJHKSE
    Thanked by 1irishtenor
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    Just chant the words "Veni Sante Spiritus" over and over and over again mixing up between men, women, men and women, Sopranos only, Altos Only, Tenors only, Bass only, make it into a round, then come back and do it all over again. Create your own variation, add verses, rinse and repeat.
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    For something that long, I would have put on a cycle of chants, organ solos and perhaps a hymn, all alternating to give the choir and the organist a chance to rest a little.
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 537
    Marc: your suggestions are very helpful. Who publishes "Piedras Vivas"? Thank you.


    OCP publishes it. I found it in Flor Y Canto 2, but I'm sure you can find it on their website.
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 537
    Back to the anointings: A bishop who cannot anoint 3 (or 4) confirmandi per minute needs to take a refresher course at the USCCB's "New Bishops' School."


    Our Bishop likes to have a nice conversation with each one. He also visits with each one individually beforehand when they're lined up for the procession. Sometimes this would cause us to start 7-10 min late.
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    I get this, How many times does a parishioner actually get to chat with their Bishop? Not very often. So let it be, one day out of their entire lives is not to much to ask just because we don't want to play or sing something and just want to get home to our families.

  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Our Bishop likes to have a nice conversation with each one.


    I'm all for chatting with the bishop, but not in the context of the conferal of a sacrament. Does he also chat with them after distributing communion to each one of them?

    "The body of Christ... What's up?"

    Both are equally inappropriate.
    Thanked by 3donr CharlesW CHGiffen
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,799
    Besides Titelouse and Duruflé IMSLP lists Veni Creator verses by Corette & Beauvarlet-Charpentier (and omits Hans Buchner). Pride of place though really goes to Nicolas De Grigny.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
Add a Comment