Pastiche Mass

A ‘pastiche mass’ is a concert form where the constituent movements are taken from different mass settings, sometimes by different composers, usually used in concerts of early music. All mass settings may be performed in liturgical or concert form; the former within the context of the liturgy of the Eucharist, performed for a congregation, usually in a church, the latter in the context of music performed for an audience, usually in a concert hall.

Pastiche Mass consists of five video and sound works by Mark Dean, corresponding to the choral parts of a mass setting. The work was first performed in an Arts Chaplaincy service, co-hosted by Art and Christianity, at Chelsea College of Arts on 21 March 2019.

See below for video documentation in context of the liturgy.


 

Introduction

Todays date, 21 March, is an important day in many world faiths.

It coincides with the ancient Hindu festival of Holi, also known as the festival of colours, celebrating the arrival of the Spring equinox, and the victory of good over evil.

It is also the Zoroastrian festival of Noruz, the first day of the Persian calendar, still celebrated as New Year’s day in Islamic Iran, although without the religious connotations. Nawruz remains a holy day in the Bahá’í faith, associated with the Most Great Name of God.

This day is also the Jewish festival of Purim, which remembers how Queen Esther delivered the Jews from annihilation at the hands of their enemies:

It has always been puzzling that God is not mentioned once in the book of Esther – and yet it is still a fully-fledged Biblical book! Jewish tradition has a couple of different ways of resolving this issue. The first is to make a pun on Esther’s name. The word Ester contains the letters s-t-r, which is the root of the word ‘to hide oneself’. The rabbis of the Talmud play around with this idea, and turn Esther’s name into Hester Panim – ‘the hidden face’ of God – from a verse in Deuteronomy (31.18), in which God says: ‘I will surely hide my face’. According to this interpretation, God is present in the Purim story, but hidden. So God plays a part in saving the Jews, it’s just that we cannot see God’s workings. This could reinforce for us a sense that, although we might not perceive it, God continues to play a part in our lives in the here and now… (Elliott Karstadt)

In the Christian tradition, we wait until Easter to celebrate the arrival of new life, and for the 40 days before that we keep the season of Lent, a time when we reflect on the ways in which our lives are in need of renewal. So this is a penitential Mass, incorporating video and recorded sound in place of a choir, and replacing the Gloria with a penitential anthem.

Liturgy is an art form, and indeed Christianity is at its core both performative and representational. When Christ instituted the Eucharist, which we are about to reenact, he said ‘Take, eat, this is my body… do this in remembrance of me’. This is representation and performance, indeed a re-performance, and a kind of appropriation.

The Gathering

We meet in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Lord be with you : and also with you.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, to be our advocate in heaven, and to bring us to eternal life.

Let us admit to God the sin which always confronts us.

‘Kyrie’

‘Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy’

May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

The Gloria is not sung during Lent; here follows a penitential anthem.

‘Ingloria’

‘Man of peace, man of war, Lord have mercy on our uniforms…’

The Collect

Almighty God,
by the prayer and discipline of Lent
may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings,
and by following in his Way
come to share in his glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Readings

Jeremiah 17.5-10

Psalm 1

Luke 16.19-end

‘Credo’

‘I believe in one God…

Intercessions

Lord, in your mercy : hear our prayer.

The Peace

Christ is our peace. We meet in his name and we share his peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you : and also with you.

The Eucharistic Prayer

The Lord be with you : and also with you.

Lift up your hearts : We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God : It is right to give thanks and praise.

Father, you made the world and love your creation.
You gave your Son Jesus Christ to be our Saviour.
His dying and rising have set us free from sin and death.
And so we gladly thank you,
with saints and angels praising you, and singing:

‘Sanctus

‘Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.’

‘Benedictus

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
 Hosanna in the highest.’

We praise and bless you, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord;
and as we obey his command,
send your Holy Spirit,
that broken bread and wine outpoured
may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.
On the night before he died he had supper with his friends
and, taking bread, he praised you.
He broke the bread, gave it to them and said:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
When supper was ended he took the cup of wine.
Again he praised you, gave it to them and said:
Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did,
in him we plead with confidence his sacrifice
made once for all upon the cross.
Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,
we proclaim his death and resurrection
until he comes in glory.
Great is the mystery of faith.

Christ has died: Christ is risen: Christ will come again.

Lord of all life,
help us to work together for that day
when your kingdom comes
and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth.
Look with favour on your people,
gather us in your loving arms
and bring us with all the saints
to feast at your table in heaven.
Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father,
for ever and ever. Amen

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us:

Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

All baptized persons are welcome to receive Communion. Anyone may come forward to receive a blessing. Otherwise feel free to remain seated.

‘Agnus Dei’

‘Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.’

Post Communion Prayer

Almighty God,
you see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves:
keep us both outwardly in our bodies,
and inwardly in our souls;
that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body,
and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God,
we thank you for feeding us
with the body and blood of your Son
Jesus Christ.
Through him we offer you our souls and bodies
to be a living sacrifice.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory.
Amen.

The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

Go in the peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God.


 

Pastiche Mass
Composed by Mark Dean from source material used in accordance with Copyright and Rights in Performances (Quotation and Parody) Regulations 2014.

Kyrie, 2016
video source:
artist’s original footage
audio sources:
Merciful Dub (The Revolutionaries)
Zadar Sea Organ (Nikola Bašić / Ah!Puch!)

Ingloria, 2016
video source:
Nina Simone performing Save Me, Festival de Jazz d’Antibes (1969)
audio sources:
Gloria (Them)
Gloria (Patti Smith)
Save Me (Aretha Franklin)

Credo, 2008/16
video source:
artist’s original footage (performance by Ade Bamgboye)

Sanctus/Benedictus, 2008/16
video source:
Come Live With Me (1941)
audio source:
Darkness (The Human League)

Agnus Dei, 2016
video source:
Hells Angels on Wheels (1967)
audio sources:
Agnus Dei 1 & 2, Missa Ecco Si Beata Giorno (Striggio / I Fagiolini)

Common Worship © Copyright 2000 The Archbishop’s Council