Singing the Regina caeli

 

Read Kate’s latest for The Tablet – Singing the Regina caeli

When our new Pope came out on to the balcony for the first time to address us all, he also took the opportunity to praise the Queen of Heaven, and ask for her prayers. It was a touching and simple gesture, in which many of the crowd in St Peter’s square happily joined. The conclave took place after all in the month of May, Mary’s month.

Since Easter we have been saying the Regina caeli instead of the usual Hail Mary at the end of the Bidding Prayers, but we have it written out on the newsletter because it’s less familiar, and not everyone knows it, or at least not well enough to recite without book. It is something that marks out Eastertide from the rest of the year, so the Regina caeli was definitely already on our current Catholic radar, but Pope Leo gave it a great boost.

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Choosing Hymns for Special Occasions

Read Kate’s latest for The Tablet – Choosing Hymns for Special Occasions

This is the time of year for several special services. First Communions, Confirmations, Mothers’ Day, Lady Day all seem to be in spring or early summer, and we aren’t even into the wedding season yet, especially with the weather we’ve been having recently. Most people expect music at a celebratory service of whatever nature in church, and quite right too. Music brings people together, it wakes them up and calms them down, it can be a source of great comfort and solidarity. It is a prayer in itself; it gives a sense of community that is hard to beat (and that’s why people sing at rugby matches). It is powerful, but this power can also work negatively; people can be bored or irritated by music beyond what seems reasonable (imagine being stuck in a lift, or the dreaded holding on for a line to a doctor’s surgery)…

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