Choral Rewind

Welcome to Choral Rewind! This is your friendly resource for diving back into the ​choral pieces our music ministry ensembles have recently shared. Find texts, translations, and occasionally some fascinating historical or liturgical insights to deepen your experience with the music. 

Saint Mark the Evangelist Chancel Choir
10:00 AM Mass | Saint Kilian Church

PRELUDE
We Are Ready, God, to Sing | Robert W. Schaefer (1953 - 2018)
We are ready, God to sing,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Making all creation ring;
With our vibrant harmony,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Soaring to eternity!
 Alleluia!

When the night is hardly done,
Alleluia, alleluia!
We will wake the rising sun;
We will praise you all day long,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Make of life one endless song.
Alleluia!

All the vast expanse of space,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Cannot hold your depth of grace;
Your compassion reaches far,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Way beyond the farthest star.
Alleluia!

As your people, we will raise,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Endless and increasing praise;
Freed by faith, sustained by prayer,
Alleluia, alleluia!
We will praise you ev'rywhere,
Alleluia!

All Creatures of Our God and King | arr. William Tortolano (b. 1930)
All creatures of our God and King, Alleluia,
lift up your voices, let us sing, Alleluia.
Bright burning sun with golden beams, Alleluia.
Soft silver moon that gently gleams, Alleluia.

COMMUNION MEDITATION
Panis Angelicus | Thomas Aquinas (1224/25 - 1274)
The bread of angels becomes the bread of men,
the heavenly bread
gives an end to (earthly) forms (symbols).
O marvelous and wondrous sacrament:
a poor man, a slave, and the humble one
all ingest (feast on) the Lord.

Thee, therefore, we implore,
O Godhead, One in Three,
so may Thou visit us
as we now worship Thee;
and lead us on Thy way,
that we at last may see
the light wherein
Thou dwellest.

Translation taken from “Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire Volume I: Sacred Latin Texts,”compiled and annotated by Ron Jeffers.

CHORAL BENEDICTION
Father, Give Thy Benediction | Joyce Eilers (1941 - 2009)
Father, give Thy benediction,
give Thy peace before we part.
Still our minds with truth's conviction,
calm with trust each anxious heart.
Father, give Thy benediction,
give Thy peace before we part.

Let thy voice with sweet commanding
bid our grief and struggles end.
Peace which passeth understanding
on our waiting spirits send.
Father, give Thy benediction,
give Thy peace before we part.
Amen, Amen.

Thank-you for joining us in worship today. The Chancel Choir ministers next at the 10:30 AM Mass at Holy Sepulcher Church on Sunday, October 26th. To inquire about a call to the music ministry at Saint Mark the Evangelist Parish, please contact Dr. Brian Hart at [email protected].