The Second Sunday After Christmas Day at St. Thomas

You can listen to this past Sunday's "Festal Eucharist" at Saint Thomas Church, New York.   It's got Bach's Prelude and Fugue in G Major to start with; a beautiful Palestrina mass setting, Missa Aeterna Christi munera (that's the name of an Office Hymn, BTW, sung at Matins on Feasts of Apostles and Martyrs); a beautifully chanted plainsong Psalm 84; a wonderful sermon from Fr. Austin; the lovely Verbum caro factum, by Hans Leo Hassler, and a fantastic Tocatta I've never heard before, from Theodore Dubois.   Just squeezing every last bit of Christmas joy out of the season, there, with that last piece.

The sermon really is good, so give the whole thing a listen - but what really got me weepy was listening to the last hymn, "Angels We Have Heard on High," and the joy with which the congregation sings it.  Well, yes.

Here's the music listings for the service: 

Festal Eucharist

Sunday, January 5, 2014
11:00 am High Altar

THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS DAY Included in this Festal Eucharist are hymns sung by the congregation and choir, additional music sung exclusively by the choir, lessons, prayers, a sermon, and a Rite I Mass. All baptized Christians are welcome to receive Holy Communion.

Celebrant: Fr Wallace
Preacher: Fr Austin
Deacon: Fr Daniels
Subdeacon: Fr Spurlock
Sung By: The Gentlemen of the Choir
Prelude: Prelude and Fugue in G major, BWV 541, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Prelude: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 604, Johann Sebastian Bach
Service: Missa Aeterna Christi munera, Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594)
Hymn: 109
The first Nowell
THE FIRST NOWELL
Lesson: Jeremiah 31:7-14
Psalm: 84:1-8, Plainsong (Tone IIIA1)
Epistle: Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a
Hymn: 84
Love came down at Christmas
GARTAN
Gospel: Luke 2:41-52
Motet: Verbum caro factum, Hans Leo Hassler (1562-1612)
Anthem: Resonet in laudibus, Jacobus Handl (1550-1591)
Hymn: 96
Angels we have heard on high,
GLORIA
Voluntary: Toccata, Theodore Dubois (1837-1924)