Third Sunday of Easter 

We all know the songs considered classics of the Christmas season.  But do we have the same ability to identify Easter songs?  As music ministers we are advised to let the Alleluias ring during this season!  In addition, songs referencing baptism, water and new life should also be in abundance.  Here it is Week 3 and we're just getting warmed up - the Easter season extends all the way to Pentecost!  It's actually longer than the Christmas season!  So expect to keep singing Easter hymns for several more weeks!

Anyway there's a wealth of recorded musical gems for this week.  

The joy of the entrance antiphon is celebrated in This Joyful Eastertide and O Sing Unto the Lord.  

The phrase "Peace Be With You" spoken both last week and this by Christ as he appears to the disciples in the gospels is set in a gentle choral piece by Barbara Bridge, Peace I Leave With You.  It's a new choral discovery for me and one which I may introduce to the SH choir when we finally reunite post-Covid.  

The communion antiphon is explicitly clear: the disciples knew Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Well, settings abound but I chose one which I believe not only tells the full story but also captures it in the context of the Easter Season. 

If you don't know Michael Ward's In the Breaking of the Bread, do have a listen. It'll give you goosebumps.

Head on over to Choral Music Worth Hearing for the full line-up.