Double harmony of joy Silver jubilee Mass

LONG AGO, in more civilised early Christian times in Ireland, it was not uncommon for nuns and monks to work and sing together in harmony for the glory of God in a "double monastery".
The first such monastery in Ireland was that established by the great Saint Brigid, (453AD to 523 AD), in the sixth century in Kildare, "Cill Dara" — The Church of the Oak.
This most famous of Irish women saints, eulogised as, "prophetess of Christ, Queen of the South, and Mary of the Gael" founded her monastery in Kildare, and made its church the most important in the Kingdom of Leinster.
The "double monastery" which she established had an enormous church with nuns on the one side of the nave and monks on the other for joint worship. She presided over the the nuns as abbess. and Saint Conleath presided over the monks as abbot-bishop. Saint Brigid who had become a nun at the age of 16, with her reputation as, "Consecrated casket for keeping Christ's Body and Blood", had established the reputation of having the Blessed Eucharist as the very core of the spiritual life of her nuns.
Consequently the sung Liturgy of the Word in the huge monastic church must have been a most joyous and resounding occasion of heavenly harmony by the combined choirs of the nuns and of the monks.
In England too, "double monasteries" were not uncommon in Anglo Saxon times. We know, for example, that massed choirs of nuns and monks were not unusual on special occasions, as witness their singing of Vespers in the presence of the King in the Cathedral, as a preamble to the Synod of Winchester of 970 AD. The massed choirs of nuns and monks sang at the coronation of King Edgar, at Bath in 973 AD. It was only when the Norman millionaire benefactors moved in on the monasteries that this early Christian co-operative of "double monasteries" died out, although there must have been special occasions when the Divine Office and the Liturgy of the Word were sung by joint choruses of nuns and monks, coming together for the occasion.
Happily today, this most excellent tradition of joint choirs of nuns and monks has been revived in the release of a record and cassette, "Give Thanks to the Lord," by the Benedictine nuns of Stanbrook Abbey, and by the Benedictine monks of Prinknash Abbey.
They came together for this joint rendering of Latin Plainchant and English Chant. A recording of this remarkable occasion was made at the Chapter House of Gloucester Cathedral, where the two choirs assembled by the kind cooperation of the Dean and Chapter.
The choirmaster was Fr Charles Watson of Prinknash. It is a Digital Recording, by Saydisc Records, and it is quite superb, and deeply moving.
Side A, Latin Plainchant, includes, Gaudeamus (Processional), Mass IX Cum Jubilo, Media Vita, Music from Compline, and Gaudearnus (Recessional).
Side B English Chant, includes, Keep In Your Minds, like As The Deer, (Responsorial Psalm 41/42), Let All Creation, (Psalm 150), Into Your Hands, (Psalm 30), To The Lamb of God, 0 God Give Thanks to The Lord, (Responsorial Psalm 106), The Daughter of the King, Send Forth Your Spirit, (Psalm 103) Alleluia, (Psalm 117) and the Te Deans. The Te Deum is that lovely translation by Dom Sylvester Houedard of Prinknash. The Record, price £5.95 plus 85p postage and packing, and the Casette, price £5.95 plus 25p for postage and packing, are obtainable from Prinknash Abbey (Music Dept) Gloucester GL4 8EX.
I am indebted to Sr Raphael Foster, OSB, of Stanbrook Abbey, Callow End, Worcester, for so kindly sending me a copy of this Saydisc Record, which is a source of great joy, and concentrates the mind wonderfully on the Benedictine way of life.
Saydisc Records. Price £5.95, plus 85p, p & p, Cassette £5.95 plus 25p, p & p.