CNP Feedback -
Student Council Music

The "Feedback Box" on the CanticaNOVA Publications website has proven quite effective in promoting communications on a variety of subjects, and expressing concerns of liturgists and musicians. From time to time, we'll compile a few of these questions or comments and put them in public view, with the hope that others with similar concerns may benefit from their content.

Q. Dear CNP:

I need some suggestions for "student council" installation Mass. Hope you can help me.

God bless,
Scholastic Liturgist

A. Dear Scholastic Liturgist:

First, check the date that the Mass is scheduled. If it falls on a solemnity, feast or obligatory memorial, that particular celebration must be observed. If it falls on an optional memorial or a ferial day (a day in Ordinary Time with no saint being commemorated), the celebrant has the option of using a special Mass for the occasion. You might look at the section in the Sacramentary called Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions. There's a Mass: 8. For Ministers of the Church that might work well for the installation. Also see 41. For Charity and 42. For Promoting Harmony. In addition you could use a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit or a Votive Mass of the school patron.

If one of these last options is chosen (Holy Spirit or school patron), that of course would influence the music selection. If a solemnity, feast or saint's day is being celebrated, that too should have bearing on the music.

If, however, you have the freedom to choose a special Mass for the installation, you might select music from among the following:

Hymns:

• All People That on Earth Do Dwell
• Christ's Church Shall Glory in His Power
• Christian, Do You Hear the Lord
• Christians, Lift up Your Hearts
• God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending
• God, Whose Purpose Is to Kindle
• In Christ There Is No East or West
• Let All Things Now Living
• Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service
• Lord, You Give the Great Commission
• O Christ the Great Foundation
• Praise to the Lord

Liturgical Music:

• Psalm 8: "O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful your name in all the earth."
• Psalm 19: "Lord, you have the words of everlasting life."
• Psalm 19: "Their message goes out through all the earth."
• Psalm 90: "Lord, give success to the work of our hands."
• Psalm 100: "We are his people, the sheep of his flock."
• Psalm 113: "Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever."
• Psalm 145: "I will praise your name for ever, Lord."

Choral Music:

• A Psalm of Praise (Judy Hunnicutt) [unison, with flute/Chorsiters Guild]
• All Lands and Peoples (Austin Lovelace) [2-part/Augsburg]
• God of All Creation (Hal Hopson) [2-part/GIA]
• God My King, Thy Might Confessing (J.S. Bach) [SATB/ECSchirmer]
• How Excellent Is Thy Name (Eugene Butler) [SATB/Bourne]
• How Glorious Is Your Name (Eugene Englert) [SATB/GIA]
• I Will Extol Thee (Eugene Butler) [2-part/Broadman]
• Jubilate Deo (Orlando di Lasso) [SATB/Boosey & Hawkes]
• Laudate Nomen Domini (Christopher Tye) [SATB/Novello]
• Lord, You Have the Words (Richard Proulx) [2-part, with bells/GIA]
• Make A Joyful Noise (Francois Couperin) [SAB/Concordia]
• O Be Joyful (Ronald Arnatt) [antiphonal unison/Walton]
• O Grant Me Wisdom (Penkala) [SATB/CNP]
• O Lord Our Governor (Benedetto Marcello) [unison/Concordia]
• Old Hundredth Psalm Tune (Ralph Vaughan Williams) [SATB/Oxford]
• Praise Ye the Lord, Ye Children (Richard Proulx) [unsion, with bells/GIA]
• Praise, You Servants of the Lord (Robert Hutmacher) [3-part/GIA]
• Psalm 8 (Richard Hillert) [unison/Augsburg]
• Sing for Joy to the Lord (Judy Hunnicutt) [2-part/Augsburg]
• The Heavens Are Telling (Beethoven) [SATB/ECSchirmer]
• The Heavens Are Telling (Haydn) [SATB/Fischer]
• The Glory of the Lord (Benedetto Marcello) [SAB/Fischer]
• The Name of Christ Be Praised (Christian Latrobe) [2-part/Abingdon]
• Their Sound Is Gone Out (Arthur Wills) [SSA/Novello]

Organ Music:

• Agincourt Hymn (John Dunstable) Treasury of Early Organ Music [Presser]
• Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr (Max Reger, J.S. Bach, Johann Pachelbel, G. Böhm, J. Walther, F.W. Zachau, A. Armsdorff, F. Marpurg, J.C.H. Rinck)
• Andante sostenuto from Gothic Symphony (Charles-Marie Widor)
• Come Down, O Love Divine (Ronald Arnatt) Parish Organist, Vol XI [Concordia]
• Dialogue sur les grands jeux (François Couperin)
• He That Believes and Is Baptized (Max Reger) from Chorale Preludes for the Church Year, Opus 67 [Fischer]
• Immortal, Invisible (Harold Rohlig) Parish Organist , Vol XII [Concordia]
• In Babilone (Paul Manz) [Morning Star Publications]
• Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier (J.S. Bach)
• Lobe den Herren (J.S. Bach)
• Maestoso: Five Processionals (Calvert Shenk) [CNP]
• Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist (Dieterich Buxtehude, J.G. Walther)
• Praise to the Lord (Paul Manz) [Morning Star Publications]
• Toccata in e minor (Johann Pachelbel)

These suggestions could apply equally well to any general "school" Mass.

May your liturgy be inspiring and may your student council serve well!

Gary Penkala
CanticaNOVA Publications