Selecting Music for Community Worship

Service Music: Sanctus & Benedictus

The Sanctus and Benedictus form part of the Eucharistic Prayer, and are sung by the congregation. We try to use most of the settings which are in the Service Music section of Common Praise. In preparation for Thursday's Eucharist, you should choose one of the following musical settings (click on the number to hear the music) :

719 - based on the American hymn tune "Land of Rest". This Sanctus is accompanied by an Acclamation (720) and an Amen (721), which is useful if the celebrant is going to sing the entire canon. The Amen starts on a very high note, so it's a little strange, and people don't always get it, but it's worth a try.

722 - based on the French tune "Picardy" (to which we usually sing the words "Let all mortal flesh keep silence"). It's a little gloomy, but people know the tune, so it's not difficult for them to fit the words in. This is also accompanied by two acclamations (723, 724) and an Amen (725).

726 - arranged from traditional music for the Byzantine liturgy. This Sanctus begins with the opening line being sung by the cantor, so it is best used on a week when we have a confident cantor. Several acclamations are associated with this Sanctus (727-731). This setting is meant for use with Eucharistic Prayers 4 and 5.

732 - by the American composer Richard Proulx. This is well-known and very singable. It has an Acclamation (Christ has died, #733) and an Amen (734) to go with it.

735 - everybody's fave, adapted by Richard Proulx from Schubert's Deutsche Messe. The Acclamation (736) that goes with it is rather tricky, but the Amen (737) is straight-forward. It's very beautiful and all, but let's not do it every week.

We don’t often sing the acclamations, only the Sanctus/Benedictus. When selecting the Sanctus, consider the Eucharistic liturgy to be used, and whether or not it will be sung all the way through, or said. If it's to be completely sung, including acclamations, the musical acclamations must fit the BAS text. If it's to be said, you don't need to worry about the acclamations. (It's very tacky, not to mention bad liturgy, to say the prayer and sing the acclamations.)

Try to select a Sanctus that has not been sung recently, so we keep our repertoire constantly fresh.

Copyrights
719 - Harmonization © John Campbell, organist of the Church of the Redeemer, Toronto
722 - Arrangement © Patrick Wedd, organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal
726 - Arrangement © George Black, the patron saint of Anglican church music in Canada
732 - Music ©1977, GIA Publications
735 - Arrangement ©1989, GIA Publications