E: Sing A New Song
O: Come and Follow Me
     v1 – choir
     v2 & 4 – Nathan
     v3 – Amanda
C: You Are Near
F: Go Out to All the World
Psalmist: Chris Wong

It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve next Sunday, but we will still continue with a quick practice after breakfast before going home to our families for the Reunion Dinner in the evening.

Till the next post…

E: Let All the Earth Cry Out
O: Here I Am, Lord
C: Our Blessing Cup
     Ch1, v1, Ch2 - choir
     v2 – girls
     v3 – guys
     v4 – girls
     Ch3 – choir
F: The Summons (v1, v2, v5)
Psalmist: Chris

Choir Breakfast Next Sunday
Thank you’s all round for a successful and well-received carolling season last year. Everyone played their part and contributed what they could to make the season a great experience for all, and we want to celebrate with a choir breakfast next Sunday (15 Jan). Come join us!

Choir Retreat
We are likely to return to Port Dickson this year to the Church of the Immaculate Conception (CIC), where we have established some links with Fr Clement and the youths of CIC during our last trip in 2011. We are proposing a weekend sometime in June / July for this. We’ll discuss our plans in greater detail nearer the time. 

Away for Studies
We are going to be missing some key members from the choir who will soon be leaving for studies overseas.

So far, we have Chris Toh, Monica, Brennan and Nigel, who are currently pursuing their studies in Australia and the UK. Joining them this year will be Chris Wong, Liz, Ben and Aaron. We are going to be missing our musicians quite a fair bit!

Perhaps it’s time we bring in some new blood, both singers and musicians, to boost our numbers.

Upcoming Events
Combined practices for the Rite of Election (26 Feb), which our parish is hosting for the North and West districts, and Easter Vigil (7 Apr) are in the pipeline. Watch this space for the updates in the next issue.

Epiphany (8 Jan 12)
We join all the people of the world in worshipping the infant King of the Jews.

E: Angels We Have Heard on High
O: Wise Men
C: We Three Kings
     v1 & 5 – choir
     v2 – Elliot
     v3 – Jon Lauw / Daniel
     v4 – Chris
F: Joy to the World
Psalmist: Chris / Nathan

We may have a guest singer in our midst on Sunday. He is a visiting student whom Fr Andrew knows quite well, and apparently, is a trained singer. So to give Fr Andrew a surprise, we are likely to give him a guest spot, and have him sing the psalm or take one of the verses in We 3 Kings. 

Anyway, we’ll get in touch with him to see how this can work, and update everyone on Sunday morning.

Watch this space for more updates when we make some plans for 2012!

Christmas @ Dawn (25 Dec 11)
We celebrate the marvellous events of the first morning of a new world, when the kindness and love of God our Saviour made us his holy people, the Lord’s Redeemed, his ‘sought-after’ and his ‘city-not-forsaken’.

E: O Come All Ye Faithful
O: Puer Natus In Bethlehem
C: The First Noel
F: Joy to the World
Psalmist: Milli

Mary, Mother of God (1 Jan 12)
A light will shine on us today, the Lord is born for us: he shall be called Wonderful God, Prince of Peace, Father of the world to come; and his kingship will never end.

E: O Come All Ye Faithful
O: O Holy Mary
C: Child of the Poor / What Child is This
F: Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above
Psalmist: Milli

SJI OBA Thanksgiving Mass
Date: Saturday, 31 Dec 11
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: SJI International Chapel

Just a quick reminder that we will be using the above same repertoire for the Thanksgiving Mass at SJI International on New Year’s Eve. Plus an additional hymn for post-Communion: The Lord Bless You and Keep You. 

The Mass will begin at 5.30pm. Please be at the SJI International Chapel at 4.30pm. This is a new setting for most of us, so we would need everyone to come in punctually for warm-ups and to be accustomed to the set-up and acoustics of the place.

Please don’t throw your carolling lyrics and parts out the window yet, as there will be a short carolling session for the guests from 7.00pm – 7.30pm, after the Mass. Do stay on after the Mass for this.

Christmas Carolling 2011
So we have come to almost the end of another hectic carolling season for the Year 2011. We hope the experience has been a fun yet fulfilling one for all of you, particularly for those who are carolling with us for the first time.

Thank you for using your God-given talents to proclaim the message of Christ’s birth, through our music and carols. We received much gratitude and appreciation from the families that we have visited, for bringing the peace, love and joy of Christmas into their homes.

Keep singing and playing, Sanctus Spiritus Choir!

And yes, there is more to look forward to in 2012 Blessed Christmas, everyone!

E: Come Lord Jesus (v1, 3 & 4)
O: O Holy Mary
C: Holy Darkness
F: The King Shall Come (v1, 2 & 5)
Psalmist: Clare

We are anticipating a busy couple of weeks ahead, with our House-to-House carolling starting this Friday (16 Dec). With that, we decided to run through the repertoire for the next few Masses from 4th Sunday of Advent next week, all the way to Epiphany in January 2012. The songs come mostly from our carolling repertoire as it is still within the season of Christmas.

Christmas Carolling 2011
Learn Your Carols!
Just a reminder that we will have our last 2 carolling practices during the week. Singers and musicians, please spend the next few days consolidating your carols, while the gift production team completes their last gift in time for the first house.

Common Courtesies 101…
During this week’s practice, we will also talk a little bit about our presentation, attire and some common courtesies when we visit the families, for the benefit of those who are new to the carolling experience.

Extra Eyes, Ears and Hands…
Also needed are extra pairs of hands to help load and unload our instruments and equipment from the bus (yes, we will be hiring a bus for transport), and check  that nothing gets left behind in the house we visit. Our gift bearers too, must ensure that there is always an extra gift on hand to give away, should there be a need.

Pray as We Sing…
There will be 10 families that we are visiting this year, so let’s centre ourselves and remember the message of love, joy and peace of Christmas, that we will bring to the people through our music.

See ya’ll on Tuesday!

Yes, Gaudete means Rejoice, which explains why we are starting the Mass off with a hymn with the word ‘rejoice’ in it.

3rd Sunday of Advent (11 Dec 11)
We celebrate our joy in Christ’s redeeming work among us, realising that he who is to come is indeed already with us, “unknown to us”.

E: I Will Greatly Rejoice
O: You Are Near
C: Creator of the Stars of Night
F: Come to Set Us Free
Psalmist: Milli

Musicians, because it is Gaudete Sunday, we will break away from the silence we’ve been observing during the last 2 weeks of Advent. Please get your instruments tuned and ready for a musical prelude before Mass begins.

Christmas Carolling 2011
We are on the last leg of our practices so let’s see everyone coming in for rehearsals this week. There is a lot of polishing up we would need to do before our first engagement on 16 Dec.

Yes, the dates to note are: 16, 17 and 18 Dec; 21, 22 and 23 Dec – these are the dates that we will be out carolling at our parishioners’ homes.

As for the elves in Santa’s workshop, we hope the production team has been working hard in getting our Gifts of Light ready for us to bring along to the families we will be singing for. Let us have a look at the prototype on Sunday?

In the meantime, singers and musicians, practise singing / playing and smiling (er… except for Aaron and Tony, who will need to be exempt from the smiling bit, haha) at the same time, and memorise your lyrics and parts well.

New Year’s Eve Thanksgiving Mass
Other than preparing for our upcoming carolling season, plus Christmas Mass @ Dawn, there is one other event that we have been invited to sing for after Christmas Day.

The SJI OBA is organising a Thanksgiving Mass on New Year’s Eve (31 Dec) at the Chapel at SJI International. They have asked our choir if we could sing for the Mass, and then provide some carolling entertainment for about half an hour after that, probably during the reception.

The Mass begins at 5.30pm and carolling starts at about 7.00pm. We have managed to get a critical number of people who can just about make it. Thank you for those who have responded promptly. We need as many voices as possible, so if you are able to adjust your personal / family plans for New Year’s Eve, please do join us.

Please make yourselves available from 4.30pm onwards till about 8.00pm for the entire event.

The repertoire will be same as the Sunday Mass repertoire on 1 Jan, which incidentally,  is the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. We will continue to use the chants for the parts of the Mass, but now we will have just one more part to add: the Gloria. We will need to learn the chant version of the Gloria in time for Mass on Christmas morn.

So there is a lot happening in the next couple of weeks! See you all at Mass and practice tomorrow!

E: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O: Let the Valleys Be Raised
C: On Jordan’s Bank
F: Christ Be Our Light
Psalmist: Daniel

Wedding, Michael and Paveena
Date: Sat, 3 Dec
Time: 9.30am

Procession: This is the Day (instrumental)
E: This is the Day
Psalm: Happy are those who fear the Lord
Signing: Instrumental
Recession: The Summons

Please meet in church at 9.00am.

Christmas Carolling 2011
We have about 5 more songs to cover in the repertoire, mainly the traditional pieces:
- Silent Night (last verse)
- O Holy Night
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Angels We Have Heard on High
- Love and Light

The next practice will be later on this evening at 8.00pm. Bring the rest of the troop! We’ve been missing quite a number of you the last few practices. We are just about 3 weeks to our first engagement, and we would need everyone around to get our act together, and polish up on our songs. Spread the message, and we’ll see you at practice tonight.

1st Sunday of Advent (27 Nov 11)
Our life is a long vigil, waiting for the Lord to be revealed in all his glory. We with longing and with ‘joyful hope’: for his Spirit is with us, and we know that God is faithful to his promises.

E: O Come Divine Messiah
O: To You O Lord
C: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
F: Like a Shepherd
Psalmist: Daniel

Just a reminder that next week, we will be covering both the 7.00am and 11.00am Masses.

The 1st Sunday of Advent also marks the official implementation of the New Roman Missal worldwide. Our Archdiocese has instructed all parishes to adopt the chant version of the Ordinary of the Mass for the first year, hence it is our duty and obligation to be familiar with the new settings, so we can better lead the congregation and encourage greater participation during Mass. After the first year, we are free to source for other musical settings to use as we deem fit.

Christmas Carolling 2011
We are just about a month away from Christmas and need to step up on our practices. We have covered roughly about 70% of the repertoire, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. We need all the voices to come together so that we can quickly move on ahead, so please make a special effort to come for practice (and punctually too).

Our next practice is on Tuesday, 8.00pm. Be there!

E: Hail Redeemer King Divine
O: Praise to you, O Christ Our Saviour
C: Ave Verum Corpus
F: To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King
Psalmist: Mandi

Upcoming…
We’ll need to be on double Mass duty come the 1st Sunday of Advent (Sun, 27 Nov). Yes, the 11am Choir has asked us to cover their Mass as they will be away on a retreat. We’ll use the same repertoire for both 7am and 11am Masses for that day.

Christmas Carolling 2011
1. Repertoire
Coming along pretty nicely, we’ve covered about 11 carols out of the 20-22 carols that we will have in the repertoire. We’ve just about reached the half-way mark:
1. Caribe Noel
2. A Winter Night
3. Christmastime
4. Gaudete
5. Angels and Shepherds
6. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
7. Jingle Bells
8. Pavanne for a Silent Night
9. Christmas Prayer / Blessing
10. Wise Men
11. Joy to the World

More to come… mainly the more traditional pieces that have yet to be covered:
12. Christmas is Coming / Here We Come A-Carolling
13. Adeste Fidelis
14. Silent Night
15. Angels We Have Heard on High
16. O Holy Night
17. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
18. Child of the Poor / What Child is This?
19. Mary’s Boy Chile
20. One Small Child
21. Love and Light
22. Once in Royal David’s City

2. House-To-House Carolling
Just to give everyone a heads-up on the dates that we will be out carolling at our parishioners’ homes: 16 – 18 Dec and 21 – 23 Dec. Please keep these dates free from 6.30pm – 11.30pm.

3. Practices
Our weeknight practices continue this week, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8.00pm. Please remind the members of your voice section to attend practices – and do come punctually so that we can cover as much as we can during the 2 hours together.

4. Scores
Hopefully by now, you would have started collecting your scores to practise or memorise your parts / lyrics at home. If you haven’t done so, please pick up what you need as we move along our practices.

Here are links to the recordings that you may want to use for revision:
A Winter Night http://www.alfred-music.com/player/AlfredChoralDesigns2011/34790/player.html

Caribe Noel http://www.alfred-music.com/player/AlfredChoralDesigns2008/27837/player.html

Christmastime http://www.halleonard.com/viewaudio.do?itemId=35027848&fileName=http://s3.amazonaws.com/halleonard-closerlook/35027848/05Christmastime.mp3

Pavanne for a Silent Night http://www.alfred-music.com/player/AlfredChurchChoral2006/24290/player.html

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen http://www.halleonard.com/viewaudio.do?itemId=35027315&fileName=http://s3.amazonaws.com/halleonard-closerlook/35027315/GodRestYou.mp3

Angels and Shepherds http://www.alfred-music.com/player/AlfredChurchChoral2010/34835/player.html

33rd Ordinary Sunday (13 Nov 11)
Christ’s family, the Church, today holds festival in honour of its Head, and brings to him the talents of a good wife, devoted sons, and faithful servants.

E: Sing of the Lord’s Goodness
O: You Have Called Us
C: O Blessed Are Those
F: Go Out to All the World
Psalmist: Mandi

Chants of the New Roman Missal
We have gone full swing into the the chants for the Order of the Mass namely, the Lord Have Mercy, Holy Holy, Memorial Acclamation, Amen, Our Father and Lamb of God.

We should be all set and ready for the 1st Sunday of Advent when the new text is officially implemented in all Roman Catholic churches worldwide.

Christmas Carolling 2011
A reminder that weekday practices have started – on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8.00pm. Please pass the word around to the members in your voice section to come for practice.

At today’s practice, we covered:
1. Angels and Shepherds
2. Gaudete
3. Caribe Noel
4. Christmastime
5. A Winter Night

Watch this space for more updates on the list of carols for 2011…

Upcoming Event
Wedding , Michael & Paveena
Just a heads up on a wedding service that we will be singing for on Sat, 3 Dec at 9.30am. Quite a simple repertoire… 

E: This is the Day
Resp Psalm: Happy are those who fear the Lord
F: The Summons