Excellent Schola

I was delighted (as Abp Hart likes to say) to hear the chant sung with such purity at High Mass at St Aloysius this morning. Adorate Deum, the Introit, is a particular favourite of mine - and last week, so caught up was I in M.C.-ing the Mass, I hardly attended to its music at all. Mass IV and Credo IV were good choices and sung beautifully also - indeed, I was emboldened to join in these from my pew, as also the prefatory Asperges and the doxology of the Introit. A particular delight was the singing of Ps 96 with the Communion antiphon, the schola using the Eastern technique of the ison to render it more striking.

I must commend the schola, under the direction of my mate Justin (who also played the organ for the Mass). Well done!

Mass, including a good sermon on faith and courage (20 minutes) took just under an hour and a half: ah, the splendour of the Roman Mass! It being very hot, many had gone to the earlier Low Mass, which meant the lowest turnout for months, I am informed - about 60, plus of course the sacred ministers, servers and schola, who must be commended for enduring such a hot and humid day in vestments, albs, and soutane-and-surplice respectively.

A humorous note: Fr Tattersall, to universal laughter, thanked that notorious "Catholica" blog for providing free advertising by mentioning this Melbourne Latin Mass community as a fulfillment of Pope Benedict's liturgical desires, and pleaded guilty as charged!