LIFT HIGH THE CROSS
What a swelling chorus we made of it in the glory days of Forward in Faith! And here it was in our Catholic Hymnal too.
Now today was special for another reason; I had been asked to say the Mass with particular intention for a dear lady whose 80th anniversary, not of her birth, but of her Baptism, falls today. What better than sing:
Each newborn soldier of the Crucified
bears on the brow the seal of him who died.
bears on the brow the seal of him who died.
And since this was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, we could have a good second verse:
Before announcing it, I made the mistake of not asking if everyone knew the tune. In the event it was apparent they did not. After Mass they told me, very kindly, that they had never even come across the words. So I was left rendering three choruses and two verses as a sacred solo. I was horribly reminded of Toad of Toad Hall - Speech by Mr Toad; only worse: hymn by Mgr B. Oh the shame!
Maybe our Patrimony requires that we should offer Catholic parishes courses in Hymnody? Surely many would be pleased to have a change from "Colours of Dawn" - wouldn't they?
O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
as thou hast promised, draw the world to thee.
Before announcing it, I made the mistake of not asking if everyone knew the tune. In the event it was apparent they did not. After Mass they told me, very kindly, that they had never even come across the words. So I was left rendering three choruses and two verses as a sacred solo. I was horribly reminded of Toad of Toad Hall - Speech by Mr Toad; only worse: hymn by Mgr B. Oh the shame!
Maybe our Patrimony requires that we should offer Catholic parishes courses in Hymnody? Surely many would be pleased to have a change from "Colours of Dawn" - wouldn't they?
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