Final Hymn for a Final Mass
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    I tried dropping a not so subtle hint on the 2013 NPM thread that St. Louis will soon be my new home. Apparently no one noticed. Excited about a new job, but am trying to find a place to live on the SW side of town or in the burbs. I'm not at all familiar with the area. Any fellow forum members that might have any advice (or houses to rent) let me know: PM would be great. Looking for a house that is suitable for a family of 4. General prayers for the transition are much appreciated.

    And for the diversion and entertainment of the general forum, I am open to serious or humorous suggestions for a final hymn and/or postlude for my final weekend at my current parish. So far, I'm leaning towards "The Strife Is O'er!"

    Thanked by 3Gavin CHGiffen bkenney27
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    "Nearer, My God, to Thee"?

    "Lead, kindly light"?

    "For all the saints, who from their labours rest"?

    "Lift High the Cross"

    Thanked by 1Earl_Grey
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,190
    "Shall We Gather at the River"
    Thanked by 2Gavin Earl_Grey
  • Caleferink
    Posts: 434
    "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" ?
    Thanked by 1Earl_Grey
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,978
    You are probably too young to remember Roy Rogers, but "Happy Trails to You" might be a good one. ;-) Or maybe, "I Will Survive" if you remember disco.
    Thanked by 2Earl_Grey ZacPB189
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    "Prayer for a Perfect Life"
    Thanked by 1Earl_Grey
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,508
    "Please join in singing vs. 3 of O Christ the Great Foundation."

    Where tyrants' hold is tightened,
    Where strong devour the weak,
    Where innocents are frightened,
    The righteous fear to speak,
    There let Your church awaking
    Attack the powers of sin
    And, all their ramparts breaking,
    With You the victory win.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen ContraBombarde Earl_Grey
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,394
    Earl_Grey, perhaps a medley from Gather Comprehensive II (2004) would be suitable:
    Go, Silent Friend,
    Look Beyond.
    Somebody's Knockin' at Your Door.
    Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling.
    The Call Is Clear and Simple:
    Come and Journey with a Savior.
    So You Must Do.
    We Have Been Told
    Soon and Very Soon
    You shall cross the barren desert.
    Wherever You Go
    Wade in the Water,
    Walk in the Reign.
    This Is a Day of New Beginnings,
    Star-Child.
    Now We Remain.
    We Remember,
    Without Seeing You,
    You Are Near.
    Thanked by 1Gavin
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    I'd just do an instrumental piece - something kind of light and not impressive/showy that will leave a joyful and endearing thought rather than thoughts of "oh my he was so impressive," or a confused "why are we singing The Strife is O'er in August?"

    Young's Prelude in Classic Style or something by Zipoli would be my suggestion.
    Thanked by 1Earl_Grey
  • David AndrewDavid Andrew
    Posts: 1,206
    I know this is all for the sake of relieving tension, and appreciate the humor, but in all seriousness select a hymn that best fits the parameters of the liturgy as set forth by your Pastor.

    Be a class act, and leave with your head held high. Any attempt at sarcasm reflected in your closing hymn selection will likely be lost on the majority of the people, and in the final analysis you'll likely regret abusing the liturgy for the sake of making a statement.

    Be everything your "boss" was not - a class act to the last.
    Thanked by 9kevinf CharlesW ContraBombarde Aristotle Esguerra CHGiffen Earl_Grey Kathy Caleferink Schönbergian
  • Bobby Bolin
    Posts: 419
    Congrats on your new job!

    How about "Now Thank We All Our God?"
    Thanked by 1Earl_Grey
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    My last position I ended with Jesus My Lord, My God, My All followed by an improvisation on the tune.

    The position before that was Now Thank We All Our God followed by the Karg-Elert piece.
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    Thanks for the suggestions. Of course this was in all in good fun. Seriously, I always plan well in advance and the closing hymn I had planned for that Sunday before knowing that it would be my last is "O God, Our Help In Ages Past" which I think is quite fitting. The rest of the Mass will sort of resemble ronkrisman's suggestion, which has been the pattern recently. I may be tempted to quote The Strife Is O'er or perhaps even Meet me St. Louis in the final postlude, but we'll just have to wait and see what the spirit inspires me to do.

    I actually played Young's Prelude for one of my audition pieces, so that might actually be fitting as well!
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    On second thought...perhaps a more practical approach would be to teach them one of the Masses for Ordinary Time from the Graduale Simplex (By Flowing Waters) so they have something to sing in the interim. ;)
  • AP23AP23
    Posts: 119
    Hymn: The Strife Is O'er

    Postlude: Postlude on OLD HUNDREDTH http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/Organ-Sounds-for-Worship/466538#
  • Mad_Dan_EcclesMad_Dan_Eccles
    Posts: 51
    You could of course try improvising on "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" as your postlude. Play the tune very slowly in the pedals and the whistled part on the 1/4 foot Flauto Canis.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    True story: the first Mass I played in this parish included the song Come to the Water by Foley. A little old lady came up to me after Mass, I assumed at first to say welcome, but proceeded to chide me for not playing it the way she was used to hearing it. "We don't do it that way here" were her exact words, as I recall. Apparently she didn't like my tempo (which happened to be the indicated tempo in the accompaniment book--one of the few hymns to actually include a MM).

    The introit for next (my last) Sunday: "All you who are thirsty, come to the waters, says the Lord, and you who have no money, come, drink in gladness." !!! (Gregorian Missal)

    OK so that is proper for year A and we are in year C, but still...a mere coincidence?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,978
    My predecessor could sometimes do some tasteless and inappropriate music. I believe she thought she was upbeat, with-it, clever and fashionable, but the congregation often thought she had lost her mind. She would do what is called here in the mountains, a recitation with "Come to the Water" at Easter Vigil. A really sweet gentleman would do the reading on verses to piano accompaniment. This went on for a couple of years after I took over, but one year he was too ill to do the recitation. It didn't show up on the next years program. When asked why I dropped it, I said that I used the last years program (without Come to the Water) as my guide and just copied psalms that were listed last year for the current program. I never got around to reinserting CTTW in the vigil program again. And I never will. I don't know of any good reason for substituting paraphrases for psalms and scripture when there are so many settings out there with accurate translations.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,508
    How is your Sinatra? Either One more for the road, or, I did it my way, would be fun. Could be revenge for all the odd funeral requests.

    Even Danny Boy would be fun.
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