Suggestions for Christmas Offertory Hymns?
  • MVLC
    Posts: 6
    Hi all :)
    I'm doing the music for my local OF church on Christmas Day, and wondering what hymn would be appropriate for the Offertory? I'm looking for something traditional.
    I've only chosen the music for any Mass once before so I'm rather new to it! It seems to be recommended that a Communion-type hymn is sung for Offertory, but I'm not sure if I should be doing a Christmas hymn instead. Also finding traditional Communion hymns that are in English is proving a little tricky (I personally would be happy to do just Latin, but I'm trying not to shock the congregation too much - easing the Latin in slowly :)).
    Thanks for your time.

    ETA: I'm (most likely) doing Come All ye Faithful for entrance hymn, Gaudete for Communion, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing for recessional.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    Hi

    It may help if you provided a sense of what other music you are programming for Mass, so that you don't get duplicative recommendations.
    Thanked by 1MVLC
  • GerardH
    Posts: 481
    Just do a carol - there are so many good options
    Thanked by 1MVLC
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,333
    As Gerard said, don't overthink this. Just do a traditional Christmas carol. Some safe, simple choices off the top of my head:
    --God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
    --Angels We Have Heard on High
    --Good Christian Men Rejoice
    --O Little Town of Bethlehem
    --It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
    Thanked by 3trentonjconn MVLC GerardH
  • MarkB
    Posts: 1,089
    I'm using "See Amid the Winter's Snow" for the offertory hymn.
    Thanked by 3Liam MVLC irishtenor
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    Angels We Have Heard on High.
    Thanked by 2MVLC rich_enough
  • DavidOLGCDavidOLGC
    Posts: 91
    I'm looking for something traditional


    As a "traditional" alternative, why not use one of the offertory chants for the day:

    Cantica Nova lists

    Tollite portas

    Lætentur cæli

    Exsulta filia Sion

    Tui sunt caeli
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen MVLC tomjaw
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,912
    This is one time when I think that the ancient Germanic indults to sing vernacular hymns on high feast days is quite preferable to simply chanting the propers, IMHO. In ye oldy times, Germanic peoples had indults to sing hymns on high feast days such as Christmas (I learned this whilst doing some research about the effects of the Council of Trent on church music). I cannot remember the exact dates, but I seem to recall from one JSTOR article that the indult existed at least back to the 15th c.

    I simply cannot imagine the same level of joy stemming from the Gregorian offertorio as from some of the well-established carols such as Hark the Herald or Angels We Have Heard on High. I'm all for the former being included, but I suspect that you'd be skinned alive for failing to also include the latter.
    Thanked by 5trentonjconn MVLC Liam Anna_Bendiksen DavidOLGC
  • MVLC
    Posts: 6
    Thanks everyone :)
    I'm thinking I'll go with God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen, as it does happen to be a favourite of mine; and while I'd love to do something in Latin, I don't think the congregation at my church would be overly pleased with it. Or, at best, I'm unsure how they would respond.
    Thanks for the idea, though, David - I'm going to have a think about using offertory chants in future when the parishioners are used to my strange ways ;)
    Thanked by 2irishtenor DavidOLGC
  • WGS
    Posts: 301
    to MVLC and others,
    Please make it "God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen".
    It seems that Charles Dickens used the title without the comma, and his use became a popular way of writing the title.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen MVLC ServiamScores
  • MVLC
    Posts: 6
    Thanks for that, WGS - I didn't know that! It does make more sense with the comma.
    Thanked by 1ServiamScores
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,424
    Of the Father's Heart (Love?) Begotten would be my preferred hymn-'carol'.
    It is theologically rich, serious, and has the gravitas that an offertory should have.
    And! It isn't cute and weepy as many carols are.
    For communion What Child is This would be a good choice (not too slowly!!!) - although you might be tarred and feathered for no working Silent Night in somewhere. At Walsingham we always sing it after the ablutions with lowered light.



    About Angels We Have Heard on High! I always sing this as follows
    Verse one - All
    Verse two - Women (Villagers)
    Verse three - Men (shepherds' response.)
    Verse four - All
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen MVLC DavidOLGC ServiamScores
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