First Holy Communion
  • Musicteacher56
    Posts: 621
    For the first time in years, our parish is having a special First Holy Communion mass outside of the regular Sunday masses. Any suggestions for music would be appreciated. Thanks. My children's schola is going to sing and can learn chants easily.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Propers
    Ave Verum Corpus
    Anima Christi
    Thanked by 3Adam Wood CHGiffen kenstb
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Any intelligent setting of Jesu Dulcis Memoria. I can send you a four-voice setting I wrote and which you should be able to learn in 2 rehearsals.

    Adoro te Devote, or any worthy translation I'm partial to Fr. Hopkins' translation.
    O Lord I am not worthy
    O God of Loveliness (St. Alphonsus Liguori's text, if memory serves)
    Sir Edward Elgar's Ave Verum Corpus is very easy until the last sytem.
    Chant Ave Verum Corpus.

    Like Ben, I second the use of Propers.
    I have a chant setting here somewhere of the Anima Christi.


    Sorry you asked?
    Thanked by 1Andrew Motyka
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Propers

    I have often used Bach's setting of "Schmucke dich" (English version)

    At a special First Communion Mass, it might be good to replace the proper communion proper with one of the ad lib. eucharistic antiphons (Gustate et videte is always good)
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    And never forget the Magnificat, the ultimate canticle of receiving the very presence of the Lord, and Psalm 34.
  • jpal
    Posts: 365
    Reviving a thread from last year.

    Regarding the suggestion of using the propers for First Communion when it is not on a Sunday or Solemnity. While the Lectionary has options for First Communion, the Missal and Gradual do not. So I would assume that one would default to the propers of the day, or (for the Gradual propers) perhaps a reasonable substitution such as Corpus Christi?
  • jpal
    Posts: 365
    Now that I actually looked at the Lectionary for First Communion, it says:
    Lectiones sumi possunt sive ex toto sive ex parte vel e Missa diei, vel e Missa pro Initiatione christiana (supra nn. 751-755), vel e Missa votiva de Sanctissima Eucharistia (infra nn. 976-981).

    So I guess that answers the question!
  • kenstb
    Posts: 369
    Panis Angelicus. (version from the old People's Mass Book)
    Works in 3 or 4 part harmony.
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