Then Sings My Soul (at FPC): Sanctus and Benedictus

Some listening background to start things http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PefJeV6o9vA
This is the Rutter “Mass of the Children 3: Sanctus and Benedictus”

From Angie’s article in October 2012 Good News Banner:

Our worship at Farragut Presbyterian is rooted in thousands of years of history and religious practice and largely based on the Roman Catholic form called the Ordinary of the Mass. We sing three parts of the mass at each celebration of the Eucharist; the Sanctus, Benedictus, and the Agnus Dei.

Today, we’re going to talk about the first two of these, which we do together.

The Sanctus and Benedictus are sung together at the end of the prayers of thanksgiving as the continuation of the celebrant’s words: “Therefore with angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven, we worship and adore your glorious name, praising you forevermore:”

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.        
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. 
Hosanna in excelsis.      
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.    
Hosanna in excelsis.      

Holy, Holy, Holy, 
Lord, God of Hosts, 
Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

The Sanctus is also known as the Trisagon (“Thrice Holy”). The first part of the Sanctus is adapted from Isaiah 6:3, which describes Isaiah’s vision of the throne of God surrounded by a six-winged seraphim. The same language is found in Revelation 4:8. The Trisagon is found in Hebrew liturgy as early as the 2nd century where it is said by the congregation before the opening of the ark:

Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, Adonai 
    Tz'vaot Melo Kol Haaretz Kevodo. 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.  Isaiah 6:3 (NIV)

The Sanctus appeared in the Gallican rite by 529 and in the Roman rite by the 7th century. It is now found in nearly every Christian rite. The text of the second part, beginning with the word Benedictus (Latin for “Blessed”), is taken from the gospel of Matthew, describing Jesus’ Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem.

Listen to our Sanctus from the 10/7/12 service[1]:
Some questions and thoughts for discussion:
- This is a very old piece, used from the earliest times of the church. What are your thoughts about that?
- This is used today in Catholic (and Orthodox) liturgies. Is that a good thing? What does it mean to us to use things that are “Catholic” (perhaps in addition to being “catholic”)?
- We’ve changed the tune we use for the Sanctus occasionally. I think this is the third or fourth tune we’ve used in the past several years. Why do we do this? Should we change it more often or less often?
- How does this help you in your mental preparations for Communion?