"And the Word was Made Flesh": A Rite One Mass Ordinary for Advent and Lent

The music and texts mentioned in this post are available for download at the end, and may be used freely with attribution.

It is said that the authors of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer assumed that Rite One would quickly go the way of the dodo bird.  Despite their alleged intentions, forty-three years later, the parish I serve as rector uses Rite One language at all services.

The Hymnal 1982 reflects that position as the service music for Rite One is lacking, specifically when it comes to complete settings of the Mass ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei).  For example, the hymnal contains the Kyrie and Sanctus from James McGregor's Missa Verbum Caro (S-89 and S-117, respectively), but not the Agnus Dei he composed as part of the set.  Because his Agnus Dei is under copyright, I asked our parish organist, Dr. Geoff Wilcken, to compose a suitable tune in the same spirit of McGregor's composition which is based on Hans Leo Hassler's sixteenth-century  motet Verbum caro factum est .  During seasons when the Gloria is suppressed (Advent, Lent, and the old pre-Lenten season), this constitutes a complete Mass setting, provided that the Nicene Creed is spoken or sung to a traditional chant tone (e.g. S-103).

St. Mary's uses Rite One language, but making every attempt to live fully into the 1979 BCP, we use this rubric on page 14 liberally: "In any of the Proper Liturgies for Special Days, and in other services contained in this Book celebrated in the context of a Rite One service, the contemporary idiom may be conformed to traditional language."  This means that we use not only the two Rite One Eucharistic prayers, we also use the Rite Two Eucharistic prayers in Rite One idiom.  Well, we've used three of the four Rite Two prayers as found in the Anglican Service Book, but Eucharistic Prayer C is not included.

Mr. John Wallace, a layman from the Diocese of Pennsylvania, recently set Prayer C to Rite One idiom, and Dr. Wilcken set the text to music in the spirit of Hassler's motet.  It is a unique setting in that the entire Eucharistic Prayer - from the Sursum Corda to the Great Amen - is sung. 

St. Mary's is using this setting during Shrovetide and Lent 2022, and we are pleased to offer it for use throughout the Church.  

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And the Word was Made Flesh

Kyrie: The Hymnal 1982, #S-89 (James McGregor) (listen here)
Sanctus: The Hymnal 1982, #S-117 (James McGregor) (listen here)
Agnus Dei: Click here (Geoff Wilcken) (listen here)

Eucharistic Prayer C in Rite I Idiom - text only (Tr.: John Wallace)

Eucharistic Prayer C in Rite I Idiom - sung setting (Music: Geoff Wilcken) (listen here)