Two Communion Antiphons

- Gregory A. Fincham

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Use: General, Communion
Required Resources: 3-part mixed choir
Language: English

As more and more parishes are inaugurating some use of Propers in their Sunday Masses, choir directors search for good and usable settings. Here you've found some.

Gregory Fincham, working at a parish in Pittsburgh PA, has set two Communion Antiphons for SAB choir. The three-part mixed format is practical, combining the men's voices in the choir. Each of the antiphons could be sung at the beginning of Communion, followed by a hymn, a Communion psalm, an organ piece, another choral motet, or even (gasp!) silence. While the music is not overly difficult, it does explore counterpoint in an effective and appropriate way. Points of imitation, reminiscent of mid-Renaissance motets, offer a flavor of antiquity to these modern works.

O Lord, remember the words you spoke to me is the Communion Antiphon for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. With great range of dynamics, this motet effectively conveys the emotions of Psalm 119:49-50, offering the hope and consolation of the Lord. Most appropriate on the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, this six-page motet could also be sung other times, perhaps even at a funeral.

I tell you solemnly, whatever you ask for in prayer (Mark 11:23-24) is the Communion Antiphon for the 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Again the subtle counterpoint heightens the "classical" flavor of this motet. The text moves from "I tell you solemnly," in the key of e minor, to "it will be yours, says the Lord" in E Major.

The vocal ranges are quite comfortable, which adds to the practicality of these antiphons. Let your choir delve into the Propers, expressing the Church's own notion of what our "Communion Hymn" should be.