Wednesday 27 February 2008

Sarum Candlemas 06 - Gloria & Collect

Gloria: The rulers collect their note from the precentor (who has it played to him on the organ), and they go and preintone it to the celebrant, who then finally does the definitive intonation. The singers then take up the Gloria, in Tallis' wonderful setting Puer Natus est nobis, appropriate for Candlemas, we felt. Legend has it that it was written for the wedding of Queen Mary to Philip of Spain in Winchester Cathedral, where the Spanish and English chapels Royal sung together for the first and last time. The Gloria in the Sarum rite has interpolations in honour of our Lady which may be used, but this Gloria is 'straight'.
The rulers get to sit on their stools, and the sacred ministers in the original sedilia in Merton chapel.
They return for the collect. As you can see, the Dominus vobiscum is sung from the Epistle side. The Priest raises his joined hands for it, the Deacon stands aside, and the Subdeacon kneels—the rubric directs that, kneeling, he is to busy himself with the priest's chasuble. We couldn't make head or tail of that, so here he simply kneels. The collect is sung as normal, though you will see a procession forming up (well, this is Sarum, and the English have always loved processions) of the Acolyte with the Taperers on either side of him going to the back of the church to pick up the chalice and (empty) paten. The Subdeacon follows, carrying the book of Epistles on his arm.


1 comment:

Patrick said...

Hello, Father!

I once also followed the postings in your blog pre-hiatus; glad to see these posts on the Sarum Rite back again.

As for the farced Gloria, I think this was also known in the Continent during the time period; the Use of Cologne, Germany also has the farced Gloria to be recited on feasts of Our Lady on its proper Missal!