Music Suggestions
Ash Wednesday (B)
Liturgical Music
Official texts
- Introit:
- Misereris omnium [Graduale Romanum, p.62]
- Misereris omnium [Gregorian Missal, p.292]
- Miserere mei Domine [Graduale simplex, p.82]
- Mass Propers for Lent (Gary Penkala)
- Miserere mei Domine (Calvert Shenk)
- Your mercy extends to all things, O Lord [Simple English Propers, p.55 (Adam Bartlett) CMAA]
- Lord, you are merciful to all [Simple Choral Gradual, p.41 (Richard Rice) CMAA]
- O Lord, Your Mercy Does Extend [tune: erhalt uns Herr] from Introit Hymns #14 (Christoph Tietze)
- Gradual (Responsorial Psalm):
- Miserere mei Deus [Graduale Romanum, p.63]
- Miserere mei Deus [Gregorian Missal, p.230]
- Miserere mei Deus [Graduale simplex, p.83]
- Adiuva nos Deus [Graduale simplex, p.84]
- Common Psalms for Schools & Parishes (Thomas Cosley)
- Tract (Gospel Acclamation):
- Domine non secundum [Graduale Romanum, p.64]
- Domine non secundum [Gregorian Missal, p.231]
- Adiuva nos Deus [Graduale simplex, p.85]
- Blessing & Distribution of Ashes:
- Immutemur habitu [Graduale Romanum, p.65]
- Immutemur habitu [Gregorian Missal, p.234]
- Iuxta vestibulum [Graduale Romanum, p.65]
- Iuxta vestibulum [Gregorian Missal, p.234]
- Emendemus in melius [Graduale Romanum, p.66]
- Emendemus in melius [Gregorian Missal, p.235]
- Dele Domine [Graduale simplex, p.86]
- Emendemus in melius (William Byrd, Baldassare Donato, Andrea Gabrieli, Cristóbal de Morales, Ascanio Trombetti)
- Immutemur habitu (Cristóbal de Morales, José Maurício Nunes Garcia)
- Come back to the Lord [Simple Choral Gradual, p.42 (Richard Rice) CMAA]
- Let the priests and ministers of the Lord [Simple Choral Gradual, p.42 (Richard Rice) CMAA]
- Lord, take away our wickedness [Simple Choral Gradual, p.43 (Richard Rice) CMAA]
- Turn to us with mercy, Lord [Simple Choral Gradual, p.44 (Richard Rice) CMAA]
- Offertory:
- Exaltabo te [Graduale Romanum, p.313]
- Exaltabo te [Gregorian Missal, p.236]
- Factus est adiutor [Graduale simplex, p.88]
- Exaltabo te (Giovanni Battista Casali, Orlando di Lasso, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Alessandro Scarlatti)
- Mass Propers for Lent (Gary Penkala)
- Psalm 30 (Stephen McManus)
- I will extol you, O Lord [Simple English Propers, p.56 (Adam Bartlett) CMAA]
- O Lord, I cried to you for help [Simple Choral Gradual, p.44 (Richard Rice) CMAA]
- Communion:
- Qui meditabitur [Graduale Romanum, p.67]
- Qui meditabitur [Gregorian Missal, p.237]
- Da nobis Domine [Graduale simplex, p.88]
- Mass Propers for Lent (Gary Penkala)
- He who meditates day and night [Simple English Propers, p.57 (Adam Bartlett) CMAA]
- The man who meditates day and night [Simple Choral Gradual, p.45 (Richard Rice) CMAA]
- Mass settings:
- Latin Chant Mass XVII (Adventus et Quadragesimae)
- Mass of Saint Agnes (B. Andrew Mills)
- Missa Deus Genitor alme (Harry McMurray)
- Wondrous Love: A Mass for Lent (J. William Greene)
Other liturgical music
- Antiphons for Distribution of Ashes (Gregorian chant) [Liber usualis p.523-525]
- Chant Booklet, Volume 4 (ed. Chris Bord) with chant Mass for Lent
- Common Psalms for Schools & Parishes (Thomas Cosley)
- Communion Psalms for the Liturgical Seasons (Gary Penkala)
- Graduale Romanum [Solesmes edition]
- Graduale simplex [Vatican edition]
- Gregorian Missal [Solesmes edition]
- Propers for Mass (Gregorian chant) [Liber usualis p.525-529]
- Psalm 30 (Stephen McManus)
- Psalm 130 (Christopher Bord)
- Universal Music for Morning Prayer (Gary Penkala)
- Universal Music for Evening Prayer (Gary Penkala)
Hymns
- Again We Keep This Solemn Fast (WIII #420, HH #78)
- Come, Let Us to the Lord Our God (ICEL #39, CH #243) Draw Near, O Lord, Our God (PMB #48)
- Eternal Lord of Love (HH #79)
- God of All Mercy (HPSC #168)
- God of Mercy and Compassion (CHB #51, CH #449)
- Grant to Us, O Lord (PMB #147, CH #465)
- Have Mercy, Lord, on Us (ICEL #44, WIII #753, PMB #196, HH #82, CH #250, SMH #339)
- Hear Our Entreaties, Lord (AH #366, CH #238, ICEL #254, PMB #48, WIII #414, CHB #293)
- I Lift My Eyes to You, O Lord (Kathleen Pluth) from Hymns for the Liturgical Year
- Lord Jesus, As We Turn from Sin (HPSC #213, HH #63, CH #241, SMH #404)
- Lord Jesus, Think on Me (AH #364, HH #64, CHB #53, SMH #405, EH #417)
- Now Is the Healing Time Decreed (CHB #56)
- O Lord, Your Mercy Does Extend [tune: erhalt uns Herr] from Introit Hymns #14 (Christoph Tietze)
- O Mortal Men and Women (CH #245)
- O Merciful Redeemer (CH #539, CBW #484)
- O Sun of Justice (WIII #424, HPSC #264, HH #71)
- Out of the Depths (CD #821, HPSC #277, CBW #488, CH #246)
- This Is Our Accepted Time (PMB #43)
- AH = The Adoremus Hymnal, Ignatius Press
- CBW = Catholic Book of Worship II / Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
- CD = Cantate Domino / Hymnal Supplement, GIA Publications, Inc.
- CH = The Collegeville Hymnal, The Liturgical Press
- CHB = The Catholic Hymn Book [London Oratory], Gracewing Publishers
- EH = The Hymnal 1940 (Episcopal), used by many Anglican Use Roman Catholic parishes
- HH = Hymnal of the Hours, GIA Publications, Inc.
- HPSC = Hymns, Psalms & Spiritual Canticles, out of print but excellent
- ICEL = ICEL Resource Collection, GIA Publications, Inc.
- PMB = People's Mass Book, World Library Publications, Inc.
- SMH = The Saint Michael Hymnal, Saint Boniface Church, Lafayette IN
- WIII = Worship, 3rd Edition, GIA Publications, Inc.
Choral Music
- A Lenten Prayer (Antonio Salieri) [GIA Publications]
- Attende Domine (John Osterhagen)
- Audi benigne Conditor from Hymn Trilogy II (Harry McMurray)
- Blest Be the Man (Hans Leo Hassler) [Broude]
- Create in Me, O Lord (Johannes Brahms)
- Da nobis, Domine (Gregorian chant) [Graduale simplex, p.88]
- Have Mercy upon Me (Thomas Tomkins)
- Hear, O Lord from Christus (Felix Mendelssohn)
- In jejunio et fleta (Thomas Tallis) [Oxford]
- Inter vestibulum et altare (J.A. Perti)
- Lenten Proclamation (James Chepponis) [GIA Publications]
- Like As A Father (Luigi Cherubini)
- Miserere mei Domine (Calvert Shenk)
- O Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me (Carrie Nixon)
- O My God, Bestow Thy Tender Mercy (G.B. Pergolesi) [Flammer]
- O Merciful Redeemer, Hear (Chant) [Collegeville Hymnal #248]
- Out of the Depths (F.J. Haydn) from Canons for the Church Year I [Morning Star Music Publishers]
- Parce Domine (Gregorian chant) from Booklet of Chant, Volume 2
- Psalm 1 (Thomas Tallis)
- Psalm 30 (Stephen McManus)
- Return to the Lord Your God (Schalk)
- Wash Me, O Lord God (G.B. Pergolesi)
- Wohl dem, der nicht wandelt im Rat der Gottlosen, SWV 290 (Heinrich Schütz)
Organ Music
Rubrics indicate that the organ remain silent during Lent, except on Laetare Sunday or on other solemnities or festive days or at any time to accompany singing. Hence organ preludes and postludes should not be played (except on Laetare Sunday). Music for non-liturgical services might be chosen from the following:- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (J.C. Bach) [Organist's Companion, February 1983]
- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (J.S. Bach) [Orgelwerke VI - Peters 245] [Church Organist's Golden Treasury I - Oliver Ditson Co] [Neumeister Collection - Yale University Press]
- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (Georg Böhm) [Church Organist's Golden Treasury I - Oliver Ditson Co] [Organist's Companion, January 1996]
- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (G.F. Kauffmann) [Organist's Companion, February 1984]
- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (F.W. Marpurg) [Twenty-one Chorale Preludes - Augsburg] [Organist's Companion, January 1991]
- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (Johann Pachelbel) [Eighty Chorale Preludes - Peters 4448]
- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (Max Reger) [Thirty Short Chorale Preludes - Peters 3980]
- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (Samuel Scheidt) [Eighty Chorale Preludes - Peters 4448] [Church Organist's Golden Treasury I - Oliver Ditson Co]
- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (J.G. Walther) [Church Organist's Golden Treasury I - Oliver Ditson Co]
- Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir (F.W. Zachau) [Eighty Chorale Preludes - Peters 4448]
- Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod (J.S. Bach) arr. from St. John Passion; Church Organist's Golden Treasury, Vol.2 [Oliver Ditson Co.]
- Jesus, I Will Ponder Now (Wilbur Held) from A Suite of Passion Hymn Settings [Concordia 97-4843]
- Jesus, I Will Ponder Now (Paul Manz) from Improvisations for the Lenten Season, Set 1 [Morning Star Music Publishers #10-300]
- Improvisation on Attende Domine (Robert Hebble) [For the Masses - The Sacred Music Press]
- O Mensch, bewien' dein' Sunde gross (J.S. Bach) from Orgelbüchlein
- Prelude on Rockingham (C. Hubert H. Parry)
- Schaffe in mir, Gott, ein reines Herze (J.G. Walther)
- Stanzas from Attende Domine (Robert Kreutz) [Organist's Companion, June 1987]
- Variations on Southwell (Alfred Fedak)
Liturgical Hints & Ideas
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the penitential observance of Lent. There is no Act of Penitence (Penitential Rite) at the start of today's Mass (the imposition of ashes takes its place later). The ashes should be a stark reminder of our mortality. Simplicity is a keyword today and throughout Lent... no extraneous decorations, no organ music (except as noted above), no flowers. Let the bareness of the church and the liturgy have their effect. Prepare extra music for use during the imposition of ashes- choose from exquisite Gregorian chants or settings of the psalms (particularly Psalms 51, 90, and 130).
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