I have been poking around at the website of the Diocese of Wenchoster again. The website includes such a bounty of riches, that I hardly know where to start whenever I visit. I decided to have a look at their Hymnody section, where I found extracts from the Cathedral hymnbook "Hymns Modern & Ancient". To my surprise, their hymnal includes a specially composed tribute to Alpha. Having recently completed five Alpha series sessions during Lent, I was delighted
18: O Church of Alpha, by whose word
(Tune: Dundee.)
O Church of Alpha, by whose word,
House groups are filled with food.
To fill their hearts and minds with faith,
A tactic rather shrewd.
Invite them round for wine and cheese,
Perhaps a large baked cod.
Then after all have had their fill,
You gently mention God.
....
Let all recall that we're not there
To give them free repast.
It's all a ploy to win their lives,
And make them join our caste.
©Pharisaios 2002
This next hymn is dedicated to priests who may visit and to lay persons who enjoy the spectacle of their priests parading in the splendor of liturgical vestments:
76: Priests need vestments that are pretty
(Tune: "Stuttgart" by C. F. Witt. 1660 - 1716)
Priests need vestments that are pretty,
So in state they may propel
Round the altar in procession,
And the Mass of Rome excel.
....
Eastern rites in all their glory
Make our worship rich and rare,
Oblivious to all the people,
Clergy persons make their prayer.
....
Ditching alb for fur-lined cassock,
Rural clergy bend the knee,
Trying to keep their butts from freezing
In the cold Epiphany.
©Pharisaios 2001
The hymns are wonderful, and I wanted to quote them in full, but there is "fair use" to be considered for copyrighted material. I hope I have not crossed the line there. If I have, the authorities at the cathedral know where to reach me to order a "cease and desist".
If you would like to read my impressions of the Alpha series, you can by going here, here, here, here, and here, but I really would not advise taking the trouble.
Enjoy.
You've brought a tear to my eye! Just lovely!
ReplyDeleteI was reading about the Wenchoster organs.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling a bit flushed.
Clumber, I did not know that old dogs were sentimental.
ReplyDeletePJ, flushed? I haven't explored the organs yet.
Mimi,
ReplyDeleteOf course old dogs are sentimental, but not at standard things. Wait, I feel a meme coming on... 6 things you're sentimental about. Oh, hold on a second, it was just a bit of indigestion... there, skip the meme... where was I, oh yes, sentimental...
I try to go out fishing on Father's Day and use the old bamboo rod that my dad made 40 years ago. There, how's that for sentimental? I always feel a tear coming when I think of my dear Clumber who has been gone for 14 years now... you want more sentiment? I'm just going out to have a good cry now and a wee biscuit, thank you very much.
Good dog, good dog. Here's a pat and a scratch.
ReplyDeleteYou can make a list of things that make you sentimental, but no memes, please. Just don't make any more lists with names of people on them. I hope that you've learned your lesson about that.
Oh sure, coming from someone on "The List" (aka Episcopal Cafe "Additional favorites")... and did you hear one bark, growl, woof, yelp, yap, or yip from moi? I've learned my lesson on lists for sure... then again, this feels like a Grocho Marx sort of moment... I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member. But I acknowledge that you have a classy slant and mine is, well, slightly rougher... get it, "ruff-er"!!!
ReplyDeleteThough I occasionally worry that the bishop of Wenchoster may,perhaps, have just a wee bit too much time on his hands, I have long been a loving dabbler on this site. No question that the hymns are the heart of it. Would I be correct in assuming that your discovery of it is yet one more serendipitous shock-wave from MP's recent Clumber hissy.
ReplyDeleteLapin, I discovered the Diocese of Wenchoster several months ago. I can't recall how I got there, but I don't think it was from from the MadPriest's site, certainly not recently.
ReplyDeleteActually, I have written two other posts on the diocese, here and here.
There's so much material, that I could write any number of posts from their site.
After my second post, I emailed the bishop of the diocese to call his attention to it, and one of his minions replied and asked if I wanted to be included in their list of bloggers. Of course, I said yes.
Wenchoster is a great place to visit. You can have your blog linked there Clumber - just go to the site and send it to them. The bishop, Grindle and Daphne Pullover make me laugh when I am depressed about the church.
ReplyDeleteThe organ specs were a riot. It takes having been an organist to fully appreciate it. Thanks for pointing to the Wenchoster site. I look forward to further... uh... illuminating visits to this special place.
ReplyDeleteDavid, as I told PJ, I haven't got to the organ section yet. I'm looking forward to it, but I probably won't get as much pleasure from it as you did, since I know very little about organs.
ReplyDeleteWe recently installed an old, rebuilt organ from the late 19th century in our 162 year old church. It's doing beautifully, and our organist plays better each Sunday.
She was a already wonderful pianist, but she has been studying organ for only about three years, and has made outstanding progress.
Mimi,
ReplyDeleteBack in my P-O days, I was an O/CM. Lots of fun and funny memories from back then. One that still brings chuckles to me was once in an upstate NY church when we were preparing for Christmas and were rehearsing the carol, "Ding, dong! Merrily on high." In the arrangement by John Rutter (I think), while the Sopranos and Altos are singing the melody, the basses and tenors are singing a kind of ostinato "di-ing, do-ong" over and over again. The basses were not getting it, and I stopped the singing and said to them: "Basses! You're putting your "dongs" in the wrong place." Well, the rest of the rehearsal was a lost cause after that.
David, that reminds me of the time I was trying to teach a happy-clappy hymn to a group. The hand-clapping came at a tricky moment, and like your group, they were not getting it. Finally, finally, one person in the group got it right, and I said to her in a loud voice, "You got the clap!"
ReplyDeleteI think your moment was worse, but I'm not sure.
David, I'm now convinced yours was worse. I'm still laughing at it. You told 'em.
ReplyDelete