A View From the Top (Choir Loft)

   I am probably “preaching to the Choir” (this is an old church adage, you know, referring to something commonly known) but the word “Advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus” which means “coming” or “arrival.”  It is a time to reflect on the humble nature of the birth of Jesus. It is a time to anticipate our heavenly home.
   Advent originated in the 4th and 5th centuries as the time of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at Epiphany. It was originally a 40-day period of penance, prayer, and fasting. In recent years the Catholic Church abolished fasting during Advent, but kept it as a season of penitence.
   Each Advent in the past has been our job to find music to celebrate the Advent season. This involves the Ordinary of the Mass (the Mass setting); the propers (major and minor); and hymns. All but the music for the Ordinary - Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei -  no Gloria during Advent and this highlights the penitential aspect of this season -  and hymns are prescribed in the Divine Worship Missal and Lectionary. 
   This Advent we are introducing a newly written English Mass setting specifically designed for Advent  by our organist Mary Nesvadba. The basis for this Mass setting is one of the melodies assigned to the Advent Prose sung each Sunday. This melody comes from the Middle Ages and the words are from Isaiah 45:8, “Drop Down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness.” In the 17th Century, these words in Latin “Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant justum” were arranged into a hymn combining the traditional text with other scriptural texts used in the Liturgy of Advent. Sometimes the verses are from other Isaiah texts. The music and words are simple and lovely and easily adapted to the rhythm of the Kyrie (Lord -  Christ -  have mercy,) Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy Lord…) and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God…). We will sing this Mass setting each Sunday during Advent as well as the Rorate caeli, the Advent Prose, in both English and Latin.
 
Faithfully,
 
Marion and Mary Nesvadba,
Choir Director and Organist