In a recent email, Miguel Felipe reminded me that this Sunday will be his first hymn mass. For as long as I’ve been at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu (or, at least as long as I can remember!) I have played the organ on the fourth and fifth Sundays of the month at the 8 am service. (For the first three Sundays, we have used piano and guitar settings by Marty Haugen and now The Braeded Chord.) Since 1998 the setting of the Ordinary has been set to familiar hymn tunes, sung to metrical texts. Over the years these texts have been set to various chorale tunes (melodies) and I have organ editions of the liturgies dated 1998, 2003, 2005 and 2010.

For example, the Kyrie is sung to the tune SOUTHWELL to the following text (click the link, and you’ll hear the tune):

Have mercy on us, Lord, and hear our solemn prayer. We come to hear your living Word; it saves us from despair / Have mercy on us, Christ, and wash away our sin. Pour out your grace and make us whole that new life may begin / Have mercy on us, Lord; make sin and shame depart. Renew us with your saving pow’r, create in us pure hearts. (Text: Gracia Grindel © Sundays & Seasons, Augsburg Fortress)

The Glory to God has been set to the tune JOYOUS LIGHT (by Marty Haugen), HYFRYDOL and HYMN TO JOY:

Glory be to God in heaven, peace goodwill to all the earth, Mighty God of all creation, Father of surpassing worth; we exalt you, we adore you, we lift high our thanks and praise, Saints andangels bow before you, here on earth our songs we raise. /Glory be to Christ for ever, Lamb of God and Lord of love, Son of God and gracious Savior, you have come from heav’n above, on the cross you died to save us now you reign at God’s right hand, Hear our prayer, restore, forgive us, in your promise firm we stand. / Holy One we now acclaim you, Lord alone to you we call, Holy One in faith we name you, throned on high yet near to all. Jesus Christ with God the Spirit, in the Father’s splendor bright For the peace that we inherit, glory be to God on high. (Text: Martin A Seltz, © Sundays and Seasons, Augsburg Fortress)

The Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia) is sung to NEANDER (also known as UNSER HERRSCHER).

Alleluia! Lord and Savior, open now your saving Word. Let it burn like fire within us; speak until our hearts are stirred! Alleluia! Lord we sing for the good news that you bring. (Text: Gracia Grindel © 1998, Sundays and Seasons, Augsburg Fortress).

We have used the tune LAND OF REST for the Holy, holy, holy (Sanctus), Memorial Acclamation and Great Amen. The tune PICARDY has also been used for Holy, holy, holy.

Holy, holy, holy Lord. God of power and might, heav’n and earth are full of yoru glory, Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest. (Text: Sanctus ICET Text from Isaiah 6)

Finally, for the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), we have used the tunes DUNDEE and MEDITATION (Gower).

O Lamb of God, you bear the sin of all the world away, you suffer’d death our lives to save, have mercy now, we pray. / O Lamb of God, you bear the sin of all the world away, you set us free from guilt and grave, have mercy now, we pray. O Lamb of God, you bear the sin of all the world away; eternal peace with God you made, give us your peace, we pray.  (Text: Martin A. Seltz © 1996 Sundays & Seasons, Augsburg Fortress).

In addition to the fourth and fifth Sundays at the 8 am service, the Hymn Mass is also used during summer Sundays when we have only one morning service. The Hymn Mass is a lot easier setting to give a substitute organist when I’m away on vacation!