I've been instructed to use a "hymn of thanksgiving" in addition to the Communion proper. In the past, I have tried to use something Eucharistic here, but with Worship III, I feel like I'm kind of limited in terms of not using the same ones over and over. Maybe I'm not being creative enough!
I could also set some other hymns (not in WIII) in Finale and provide those to the congregation.
What works well for you and contributes to the ethos that we're trying to promote?
You can define 'thanksgiving' broadly to include hymns of praise suited to the season. Of course that probably sounds like what you choose for a recessional hymn. So that provides an approach: move the recessional hymn to this post-communion slot, sing 3 or 4 verses of it, and then play an instrumental recessional.
I would also take "thanksgiving" in a broad context. Many hymns could be appropriate here. I don't often hear one, but one time we used one, Holy God We Praise Thy Name was used after communion, and the salve regina with instrumental was used for the recessional and postlude.
Hymns of Eucharistic Adoration (like Adoro Te) seem like a particularly apt choice.
What's the context here? Is this while people are going to communion or after? Is there a desire for more congregational singing? Are people looking to add back in "contemporary" music that you so rudely took away when you implemented Communion Propers? Some more info would help people provide ideas and advice.
At my previous job (Episcopal parish with a Novus Ordo Catholic vibe) we did a "Communion Meditation" after communion. It was (almost) always unaccompanied, and could be anything from a chant hymn (Adoro Te) to a Taize or Iona piece to a P&W contemporary devotional song (Jesus I Adore You). Singing those things unaccompanied brought some aesthetic unity, and made music from almost any genre 'work' within the liturgical context. (As an aside - this is my suggestion for anyone who MUST program P&W songs.)
At our Missa Cantata we sing the Communion antiphon with verses while the people are receiving and follow with an acapella setting of a brief Eucharistic hymn.I'm always looking for new settings of O Salutaris Hostia for this purpose and we have quite a collection already.
I'll try to provide more information as best I can.
What's the context here?
It's pretty much after people are going to communion. I think that there is a desire to have a hymn here, but not necessarily a "contemporary" one. I don't think it would be a terrible idea for me (self-preservation wise...) to utilize at least one more "contemporary" song here, though.
And, if one is faced with a progressive priest demanding a hymn of thanksgiving, defaulting to versions of the Magnificat could be buttressed by suggestions such as:
1. It's Scripture (if it's not a metrical paraphrase; it's "Scripture-based" if it's a (good) paraphrase). Vatican II valorized opening up for the faithful the riches of Scripture in the liturgy.
2. It's a Scriptural quote of ... a woman. (Not just any old woman, mind you ...). How often do we get to hear from a woman in Scripture in the liturgy? Not enough.
3. It's a canticle that exalts God for his exaltation of the lowly and marginal in the world; possibly the most pointed Gospel canticle that promotes the preferential option for the poor. The text perfectly unites communion with God with communion with neighbor, the two dimensions of the two great commandments.
4. Is there any Scriptural canticle that more aptly describes how we should praise God for receiving his very being within our very being?
I could go on, but you should be able to catch the drift and improvise accordingly.
At an otherwise chant and trad hymn late evening Mass at ASU Newman center, they did a choral arrangement of the (Talbot?) Holy Is His Name setting of the Magnificat. It was lovely in that context.
Soul of My Saviour (Anima Christi) was origi ally sung as a thanksgiving antiphon after mass. I usually have it as a second hymn at communion. It's a nice short filler if the communion music hasnt been quite long enough.
Years ago I was in a parish where the choir sang during communion, then everyone stood and sang a Hymn of Thanksgiving. The final blessings were given and the recessional was the organ postlude. Since few people sang either the communion song or the final hymn, combining into one hymn which everyone sang while nothing else was going on seemed to work very well. Is anyone doing this now?
At my parish, we recently began the implementation of the "hymn of thanksgiving." I'm speaking here as a person in the pews who has just received Holy Communion, knelt down for about 10 seconds, and then is suddenly ordered to stand up and sing a hymn. It quite honestly drives me nuts. The hymns aren't Eucharistic (well, Worship 1000 isn't big on that) and it seems just another liturgical innovation designed to add another hymn and keep anyone from having an "individual moment" (remember when we were told that those weren't to be sought in our communal liturgy). Maybe other people love it. Most people around me seem to sigh as they clamber to their feet. I don't want to sigh; I want to scream.
Usually I can let these things roll off my back. Somehow this feels like the proverbial straw. Thanks for letting me vent.
Conflating postures, the lections, processions, gestures and the Caesar of Imperialist jingoes, "You vill zing und you vill like it, und now you must stand zusammen (together) vitch iss za ztronger zymbol zan kneeleenk zusammen, do it, do it NOW! (Imagine Schwarzeneggar ordering you), into conceptual equanimity with Holy Eucharist has probably provoked the late Fr. Eugene Walsh and God into having a good laugh on a heavenly cloud with God remarking "Geno, I see what you did there. Sonny's not too thrilled about it, though."
Kathy, I agree. My choir has sung “Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All” and “The King of Love, My Shepherd Is” for Communion after the English antiphon is sung. They are well-known and well-loved, with beautiful melodies that are mellow and calm. There are other hymns that work here, but these are two of the best. We also sing them SATB, which is our way of saying to the congregation, “You can sing if you like, but for many this is a time of quiet prayer aided by the choir.” We do that or we sing a motet (the same at the Offertory, though the hymn is unison because it is so short)...I don’t love the principle of a Communion hymn because I think it ought to be for private thanksgiving, but that is out of my control and I do appreciate a good hymn, even at that moment at Mass...
In the EF, I would say sing a motet and then improvise softly on the organ or just play the organ.
I've abandoned post-communion thanksgiving hymns entirely at my parish. We used to have the second collection after communion, but now the collections have been moved so that the first collection is immediately after the homily, and the second collection is after the prayers of the faithful. During the two collections I play a quiet interlude.
At communion, some quiet organ music is played for a minute or so before the start of the communion hymn, I have been a bit irregular with chanting the communion antiphon lately, so my next aim is to make this happen every week.
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