Entrance Procession during Confirmation
  • AMAJ
    Posts: 26
    My choir sings at Confirmation at our parish each year. During the entrance procession, our normal routine is to sing 2 verses of "Come, Holy Ghost" (with the congregation) and then the choir sings Ecce Sacerdos until the procession is over and the Bishop is at his chair.

    In the past year at Sunday Masses, we have begun singing the Entrance Antiphon after 1 verse of an opening hymn. I would like to include that as well during Confirmation, but singing a verse of a hymn and the entrance procession and Ecce Sacerdos would be way too long (and may be viewed as a little overdone). What would the ideal music look like during the Entrance Procession? I could inquire about skipping the hymn but am not sure that would go over (it wouldn't on a Sunday).

    Thanks!
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    Singing one or two verses of Come Holy Ghost is likely singing only part of a sequence, so it's not something I'd recommend as worth doing, but understand that it is in fact done for practical reasons.

    The entrance antiphon in the ritual from Ezekiel 36 is lovely and perfectly apt and I'd encourage its use:

    Thus says the Lord:  
    I will pour clean water upon you  
    and I will give you a new heart;  
    a new spirit I will put within you (Eastertide: alleluia)

    Anyone wishing a refresher in the rite of confirmation can refer to this PDF from November 2011 from the Diocese of Evansville:

    http://www.evdio.org/uploads/2/6/3/0/26308718/rite_of_confirmation.rm_revisions.pdf

    It's interesting that this rite doesn't seem to envision the use of Ecce Sacerdos, so I wonder about whether using it should have any priority here.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,986
    Interesting that you think "Come, Holy Ghost" is too short. We sing the entrance antiphon then sing CHG which gives the bishop time for incensing.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    We sing the entrance antiphon then sing CHG ...

    Good grief. For a moment there I saw CHG and thought you were singing me. At least there was not typo that might have made it "... then suing CHG."
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
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