This Weekend

Compline by Candlelight, 9pm, Friday 4^th August.

St Mary’s, Bishophill Junior, York.

Feast of St Dominic, Class III

Normally, we would just sing the Roman Rite Office for a Friday as we have been doing the last few weeks, which have all been 3^rd class. However, I can’t let the opportunity pass by of singing the Dominican Rite for this particular feast, especially as some of us will also be singing it the following evening for the Medieval Festival!

Consequently, I shall prepare an order of service which we’ll use instead of the Roman Rite books, which will hopefully be available as a pdf file before Friday, but hard copies will be available on the night of course!

It would probably be an advantage to arrive earlier to look at the music, in particular the differences between the Dominican chant we’ll be using and the Gregorian which we usually sing. J

For those of you who don’t sing with us, either on a regular basis, or indeed, at all, I’m going to crave your indulgence as I go into mini-rant mode directed towards some of our regular singers. (This blog is also circulated to a dedicated Facebook group for those who attend Compline, or are interested in what we are doing.)

Please be aware that you’re in church to take part in an actual SERVICE, and keep the idle chat down to the bare minimum, ideally waiting till afterwards before going into chat-mode as opposed to chant-mode! Some of us are trying to pray before the Office commences, and it is becoming very difficult to concentrate to concentrate on this due to the excessive amount of noise coming from the Vestry! Please show some consideration for your fellow singers, and appreciation of your surroundings, especially being aware that we have the enormous privilege of singing the Divine Office (mainly in the Latin Rite) in the oldest church in the City of York!

Here endeth the rant. J

Friday Compline is, of course, open to the public. This weekend, we also have the Medieval Festival with an open rehearsal at 2.30pm, followed by Roman Rite Vespers of the BVM at 4pm. As I mentioned earlier, we return to sing Dominican Rite Compline at 8pm.

All welcome if you’re in or near York this weekend. J