Music for Sunday 20 February

This week we begin our slide into Lent.  In the old calendar, this week was Septuagesima Sunday.  One of the reasons I maintain the titles of these Sundays is that it signals the change of season.  It's useful to have a gentle preparation for whatever discipline one might take on for Lent.  It's easier to maintain a program of study or devotional activity if you make a soft start.  Likewise, if you're giving something up, it is better to taper it down for three weeks before you have to go cold turkey.

Of course, we don't observe the old rules about retiring the Alleluia three weeks before Lent.  Instead, I've scheduled a series of Alleluia-ridden communion hymns through these three weeks before Ash Wednesday in order to get it out of the system.  I'm toying with having a little activity for putting away the Alleluia with the choristers after Mass on 6 March.

But back to this week.  The readings are linked here, and the psalm setting is here.  The setting will be Michael Dudman's Parish Eucharist (Together in Song, 756).  Hymns are as follows:

Introit: A new commandment [sung twice -- 699]
Sequence: Father of heaven, whose love profound [131]
Offertory: Christ is made the sure foundation [432]
Communion: Hallelujah, sing to Jesus [517]