At St Basil's Chapel, UST, Houston
Vigil of the M.H. Trinity
Novus Ordo - English

Sung by St Basil's Schola Cantorum
Celebrant - Fr Charles Hough IV, Rector, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Totally sung, including little things like orate fratres and ecce agnus dei-Dominum non sum dignus
The Psalm Responsory had each verse with its own developed chant melody by MJO, thus mirroring what the Gradaul Responsory was originally, before it was truncated to the familiar responsory and one verse. The congregation's responsory itself was based loosely on the opening portion of the Gregorian gradual responsory in the LU.

Organ Voluntary - From Gloria: Messe pour les paroisses - - - F. Couperin
1. Plein jeu, 2. Trio a 2 dessus de Chromhorne..., 3. Dialogue sur les trompettes...

Introit - Benedicta sit - - - Mode VIII, adapt., Palmer-Burgess
Confiteor - - - Recto tono
Kyrie - Orbis factor - - - Mode I, with Ison
Gloria - The Ambrosian Gloria - - - Mode IV, adapt., C. Kelly, O.S.B.

The First Reading - Dominus possedit me - - - Tone for the Prophecy
Psalm Responsory - Domine, Dominus noster - - - Mode VI, Osborn
The Epistle - Iustificati ergo ex fide - - - Tone for the Epistle
Alleluya and Verse - Benedictus es - - - Mode VI, with verse a 2 equal voices: Osborn
The Holy Gospel - Adhuc multa habeo vobis dicere - - - Tone for the Gospel
The Nicene Creed - Credo I - - - Mode IV, The Roman Missal

The Offertory Antiphon - Benedictus sit - - - Mode III, adapt., Palmer-Burgess
Motet - 'Father of All, We Bow to Thee' - - - Christopher Tye

The Roman Canon -
Sanctus - Mass XI - - - Mode II, adapt., C. Kelly, O.S.B.

Agnus Dei - Mass XI - - - Mode I, adapt., C. Kelly, O.S.B.

The Communion Antiphon - Benedicimus Deum - - - Mode IV, adapt., Palmer-Burgess
The Canticle of Daniel - Benedictus es, Domine - - - Tone IV
The Communion Antiphon - (Repeated)
Meditation Hymn - 'Be Present, Holy Trinity' (Sts. 2 & 4: schola-people in canon) - - - Tallis' Canon

Votive Antiphon - Salve Regina - - - Mode V
Organ Voluntary - Hymne d'actions de grace: Te Deum - - - J. Langlais

NOTE - the organ was played only for the voluntaries. Otherwise, the entire mass was sung a capella, without so much as a pitch from the organ.

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At the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham
Solemnity of the M.H. Trinity
Divine Worship: The Missal

Totally sung, as always at Sunday High Mass and Solemnities.
The Athanasian Creed was sung line by line between celebrant and congregation in procession, according to Sarum custom.

Organ Voluntary - Allein Gott in der hoh' sei Her - - - J.S. Bach
In Procession - Symbolum Quecumque - - - Recto Tono
Introit - Benedicta sit - - - Mode VIII, adapt., Palmer Burgess
Kyrie - Missa Sancta Maria Magdalene - - - H. Willan
Gloria - Missa Sancta Maria Magdalene - - - H. Willan

The Lesson - - - Tone for the Prophecy
Psalm - Domine, Dominus noster - - - Anglican chant in directum, Sir Joseph Barnby
The Epistle - - - Tone for the Epistle
Alleluya and Verse - Benedictus es - - - T. Marier
The Holy Gospel - - - Tone for the Gospel
The Nicene Creed - - - Recto Tono, with organ embellishment

The Offertory Antiphon - Benedictus sit - - - Mode III, adapt., Palmer-Burgess
Motet - Gloria Patri - - - G.P. da Palestrina

The Roman Canon -
Sanctus - Missa Sancta Maria Magdalene - - - H. Willan

Agnus Dei - Missa Sancta Maria Magdalene - - - H. Willan

The Communion Antiphon - Benedicimus Deum - - - Mode IV, adapt., Palmer-Burgess
Anthem - 'Hymn to the Trinity' - - - P.I. Tchaikovsky
Hymn - 'My God, Thy Table Now Is Spread' - - - Rockingham

At The Dismissal - 'Holy Father, Great Creator' - - - Regent Square
Organ Voluntary - on Allein Gott in der hoh' sei Her - - - Improvisation

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I was unusually moved by these two celebrations of the ineffable mystery of He Who Was, Who Is, And Who Is To Come, our Trinitarian Godhead. It would please me greatly if we had more feasts of God Himself throughout the year. Yes, yes, I know that every mass is all about God, & is, verily, a faithful sacrifice to him. Still, though, it seems that he is often left uncontemplated upon while we have so many saints' days, Marian days, and so forth. Of course, likewise, every mass is all about Jesus, but many are those in some cultures (even our own culture!) for whom God and Jesus and the Holy Ghost pale in comparison to their devotions to the Blessed Mother, which, really, borders on heresy if not blasphemy. Too, we have feasts of our Lord, and celebrate the coming of the Paraclete, but have no feast dedicated specifically to the Father. This is, to me, a gross oversight. And, whilst not wishing to diminish the just veneration of Jesus' spotless (by the grace of God) mother, it seems that his actual Father gets a mere honourable mention from all too many people. Certainly not the fervent attention that is showered upon his handmaiden. Indeed, of all the countless artworks (not to mention literature) depicting the madonna and child, how many give any even symbolical hint that this Child had/has a Father? I never fail to think that something of profound importance is missing, that the complete message is not communicated.

About today's homily: Fr Hough related a (possibly apocryphal) account (which some of you may already be aware of) which relates of a time when Augustine (of Hippo) was wandering along the beach wondering how to explain the Trinity to his congregation. There appeared a young girl who had dug a hole in the sand with a large shell and was transferring water from the ocean into it. Augustine asked her what she was doing, and, upon being informed, said 'how can you possibly hope to empty this vast sea into that small hole?', to which the young woman said, 'and, how can you, with your small head, think to comprehend the immensity of God?'. After this, the young woman vanished from sight. It is her shell which is featured on Benedict the XVI's coat of arms.