Miss Kelly

Nov 7 - Bach Cantata & Choral Evensong, Trinity Church in Concord

Bach Cantata and Choral Evensong!  This is certain to be a beautiful and uplifting musical service:

• Where: Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm St, Concord, MA 01742
• Date: November 7, 2010
• Time: 5:00pm

"J.S. Bach's beautiful and timeless cantata "Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit" (God's time is the very best time) will be presented as the prelude recital to the Sunday, November 7 Choral Evensong at Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street in Concord, MA."

"... The cantata is presented at 5 PM in Trinity's main sanctuary; this is a FREE program, and the public is invited to attend."

"...Following the Bach cantata performance, The Trinity Parish Choir, will sing Choral Evensong for the Feast of All Saints in the intimate beauty of Trinity's main sanctuary. The Choir will sing the 'Magnificat' and 'Nunc dimittis' by Henry Purcell, the 'Responses' by Richard Ayleward, and 'Justorum animae' by William Byrd."

 "All in the Greater Concord community are invited to attend this contemplative service of music and prayer; this event is FREE. For information on this and other Trinity music events, please call 978/369-3715 or visit us on line  at http://www.trinityconcord.org."

Upcoming Event: Anglican Choral Evensong and Benediction - August 15

This will surely be a lovely service, this coming Sunday:

Choral Evensong and Benediction, Chestnut Hill -- The Congregation of Saint Athanasius (Anglican Use) will offer a service of choral Evensong and Benediction for the Feast of the Assumption at Saint Lawrence Church in Chestnut Hill at 5:00 p.m. A reception will follow the service in the undercroft.

 

And the chants are in English, so you're to be able to follow along!  No Latin skills needed. Address & map of St. Lawrence church here.

 

And wouldn't you know there's a Solemn Benediction Fan Club on Facebook??  "For Christians of all denominations who appreciate the rite of Solemn Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament."  Very good!

Great Music Coming Up! Stabat Mater Dolorosa / Concert for St. Nicolas

Two xcellent musical performance coming up:

The St. Maragret's Adult Choir presents a free concert at St. Margaret's Church, 374 Stevens Street, Lowell, MA, on Sunday, Nov.1 at 3:30 PM.  The work will be the Stabat Mater Dolorosa, a sacred cantata for orchestra, chorus and soloists by Antonin Dvorak.  A voluntary goodwill donation will be accepted.  St. Margaret's choir is really outstanding, this should be wonderful! 

And the following Sunday, November 8, at Sanders Theatre from 3-5 PM:

You'd better watch out: A concert for St. Nicholas is coming to town:
JOHN TAVENER
Apolytikion for Saint Nicholas (1987)
IVAN MOODY
Hymn to Saint Nicholas (2009) - North American premiere
BRITTEN
Saint Nicolas, Op. 42


Britten’s dramatic cantata from 1948 is full of wonder. It even directly involves the participation of the audience! As Nicholas is considered the patron saint of children, this performance is made more meaningful when the talented young singers from the Treble Chorus of New England join the Chorale on stage.

Lectures/Concerts/Special Masses Coming Up!

There's a lot of great lectures, concerts and special masses coming up this Lenten season, take advantage of these!

Friday, March 20, 2009 -  "The Restoration of Gregorian Chant in the 20th Century," lecture by Sam Schmitt, Ph.D., Friday, 8pm to 9pm, Humanities Room at Thomas More College.  And while you're thinking about plain chant, enjoy this!

Sunday, March 22, 2009 - Seraphim Singers concert at the Mission Church in Boston,  1545 Tremont Street on Mission Hill, 4:00pm, with special guests,  The Boston Boy Choir.  I've heard both choirs and they are truly wonderful!   Jennifer Lester is conductor of the Seraphim Singers.  Selections include: BACH Jesu, Meine Freude, BRAHMS O Heiland Reis, GYGER Wie Schön, DISTLER Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, and a commissioned work by SAWYER.   Suggested donation, $20.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - Sung Latin mass as the St. Francis Chapel at the Prudential mall (really), to celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation, 7 PM.  I'm sure it will be wonderful also.

Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 5th Annual GOSPEL BRUNCH at St. Clements Shrine in Boston (1105 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215), featuring the Joyful Voices of Inspiration Gospel Choir.  Time is 12-2 PM, after the 11 AM mass. Tickets $20 for adults, $10 for children, fundraiser for the Oblates of the Virgin Mary Seminarian Scholarship Fund.

 

Still Life Inspires "O Magnum Mysterium"

More of an Advent article than a Lenten one....Composer Morten Lauridsen explains how a 17th century still life inspired his musical composition of O Magnum Mysterium, in the Wall Street Journal of all places!

 

Excerpts:

"Francisco de Zurbarán's 'Still Life With Lemons, Oranges and a Rose' normally hangs on a back wall of one of the smaller rooms in the Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena. Like a large black magnet, it draws its viewers from the entry into its space and deep into its mystical world.... The painting projects an aura of mystery, powerful in its unadorned simplicity, its mystical quality creating an atmosphere of deep contemplation. Its effect is immediate, transcendent and overpowering. Before it one tends to speak in hushed tones, if at all."

"...But it is much more than a still life."

Christmas Musical Offerings in Cambridge, MA

I think of these events more as musical offerings than as concerts.  The singers are offering their voices and heart to the audience and to God.  Christmas carols and songs are surely some of the loveliest songs of all.  Two sure-to-be-terrific offerings coming up this weekend:

1. Sunday, Dec 14, 3:00p to 4:30 PM

At St. Paul Catholic Church in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 

A Ceremony of Carols

Boston Boy Choir & St. Paul Men's Schola (Jennifer Lester, director); Charlene Dalrymple, soprano & Mary Jane Rupert, harp (!!); Handbell Choir & Recorder Consort perform Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" & works by Marier, Biery, Rutter, Victoria & others.  Tickets prices are $15, $20 and $25.  Also performances on Friday, Dec 19 and Sunday Dec 21.

2. Saturday December 12, 8 PM

At the First Church Congregational, 11 Garden St, Cambridge, MA.

A Boy is Born! The Christmas Story told in the Choral Music of Europe

Musica Sacra:  "From the advent of the 'modern' century to today's 21st century, from Estonia in the East to Britain in the West, from Schönberg's extravagantly romantic Friede Auf Erden to Pärt's contemplatively minimal Magnificat, Musica Sacra has gathered a treasure of carols to delight you as they tell the Christmas story of Jesus's birth. Join us as we explore the rich diversity of cultural traditions that Europe's citizens offer."  Tickets priced at $15, $25 and $40.

Free Christmas Concert at Merrimack College - Get in the Spirit!

Info on a Christmas music concert at Merrimack College tomorrow evening, with plenty of beautiful music.  There's a sing-a-long of some traditional Christmas carols too: 

"The Merrimack College Chorale will be giving its debut concert on December 2nd at 7:30 in the Rogers Center for the Performing Arts on the Merrimack College Campus. Dedicated to the Augustinian values of truth, justice, community, peace, beauty,and love, the Chorale -- which consists of students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the Greater Merrimack Valley community -- offers this concert to benefit the Augustinian Mission in South Africa...."

 

"The Merrimack College Chorale, directed by Monica Steele, will perform an ecumenical variety of seasonal music including Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols; Mao Tsur; Hope for Resolution, How Lovely are the Messengers by Felix  Mendelssohn and traditional Advent/Christmas Carols sung with audience participation. A free will offering will be collected to benefit the mission. Mrs Steele is Director of Music Ministry at St Augustine's Parish in Andover and a Campus Music Minister at Merrimack College. For more information on the performance call 978-430-7922. All Are Welcome!"

Directions to the Merrimack College are here, campus map is here.

 

Angel Wing Begonias - St. Bartholomew - In Paradisum

Catching up on a few things....

My angel wings begonia has gone crazy, offering a profusion of blooms almost overnight:

August 24th was the feast day of St. Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles.  Biblical historians believe that Batholomew (a surname, son of Tolmey or Ptolemy) is the same person as Nathaniel, a friend of Phillip, another apostle.  Of Nathaniel, Jesus said he is an "an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit" (John 1:47). More  on St. Bartholomew, the patron saint of tanners, leather workers and shoemakers, here and here.

I heard this lovely song,  In Paradisum, from Faure's Requiem earlier this summer at the Lexington Summer Sings series.  Here are the words and the English translation.

Where's the Good Church Music?

I've had a category here on the blog for Bad Church Music, for the times when the dreckky songs sung at church made me run away screaming.  OK, I'm exaggerating, I never screamed, but I did leave Mass twice when the music was especially bad.  Once, when I noticed that every single song of the four songs at the Mass was written in the 1980's.  This, from a church with an unmatched legacy of 2,000 years of the most beautiful music!  The second time was when a group of aging hippies took out their guitars to strum and sing up next to the altar.  Exit stage left.  I'm not doing penance at Mass.  But now, after a memorable and  transcendent week at the Sacred Music Colloquium in Chicago, I'm inspired to seek out and publicize where the great Catholic music and worship services are in the Boston area or on TV. 

Here's the scoop:

Friday, June 27
Concert of Sacred Music, Boston -- Mission Church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, will host a concert of sacred music at 7:30 p.m. There will be performances by Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal, a youth choir from Montreal, of works by Mauduit, Viadana, Victoria, Gabrieli, Verdi, Busto and Patenaude. The Youth Pro Musica choir will join in singing Franck's Psalm 150. The suggested donation is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and free for children under 12. For more information, call 617-666-6087.

VESPERS (Evening Prayers) FOR THE START OF THE PAULINE YEAR, on EWTN
From the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Wall, Pope Benedict XVI leads Vespers at the beginning of the Pauline Year.   90 minutes.
Sat 6/28/08 12:00 PM ET &  9 AM PT
Sat 6/28/08 4:30 PM ET &  1:30 PM PT

Friday, June 27 and Sunday, 29
Closing Events, Boston -- Holy Trinity German Church invites everyone to the final weekend of events. There will be a holy hour with silent adoration and group prayers with Father John Connolly, administrator of the parish, June 27 from 7-9 p.m. The final Masses will be held on June 29 with the Latin Mass at 9 a.m. and bilingual English and German Mass at 11 a.m., followed by adoration and a reception. For more information, call 617-426-6142 or visit www.holytrinitygerman.org.  Very sad that this church is closing.  Latin masses are becoming more common across the country, thanks to Pope Benedict, but Boston is closing the only church in the city which offers the Latin mass.  The Boston Globe wrote about the church closing a few weeks ago here.

Sunday, June 29
Solemn Evensong and Benediction, West Roxbury -- The Congregation of Saint Athanasius (Anglican use) will offer solemn evensong and Benediction on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul at Saint Theresa of Avila Parish at 5 p.m.

More events are listed here,  You can sign up for a weekly e-mail from Cardinal Sean O'Malley here.

Oh, and that transcendent music from last week?  You can hear some of it here. Breath-taking stuff.  Enjoy!

There's Hope for Catholic Music Yet!

Be still, my heart!  From the Catholic Bishops conference last week comes a new direction in church music! Yeayyy!  Even the bishops are understanding that a lot of contemporary Catholic music is dreck.  And a change is gonna come:

"Acting under Vatican orders, they approved a plan to check the theological orthodoxy of all songs sung at Mass. They also agreed to compile a core repertoire of 60 to 100 songs to include in all Catholic hymnals, along with a variety of other songs approved by individual bishops....There are quarrels in the church between those who prefer contemporary music and those who advocate time-honored hymns and chant. Some traditionalists complain that modern songs are theologically and musically insipid."

To say the least. This is clearly the influence of Papa Ratzi, bless him!  When he was in charge of defending the doctrinal teachings of the church, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote about the need for Church music to be connected to the liturgy and to honor the rich tradition of Catholic music. It's our heritage.  Don't dumb down the music! As Sandro Magister wrote last December about bringing back Gregorian chant:

"But now there is a pope, Benedict XVI, who is highly competent in the area of sacred music, is severely critical of the degradation of music following the council, and has written on a number of occasions what he thinks and what he wants: to restore to the Catholic liturgy the great music that “from Gregorian chant passes through the music of the cathedrals and polyphony, the music of the Renaissance and the Baroque, to Bruckner and beyond.”

What a wonderful pope!   Two songs were recommended for the core repertoire by one bishop, Holy God We Praise Thy Name and Silent Night.  Miss Kelly further recommends:

• Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest
• Ave Regina
• Ave Maria
• Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Adeste Fidelis
• Now Thank We All Our God
• How Great Thou Art
• Angels We Have Heard on High
• Jesus Christ is Risen Today
• Immaculate Mary

Readers, any suggestions to add to the core reportoire of Catholic hymns? What are your favorite ones?

Papa Ratzi and Church Music - "Napoleon Without Generals"?

Cool interview with 90-year old maestro Domenico Bartolucci, director of the Sistine Chapel Choir for over fifty years. Maestro Bartolucci is no fan of modern Church music, and along with Pope Benedict, he calls out for bring back Gregorian chant and other sacred polyphonic music.  But Bartolucci wonders if Pope Benedict can really turn the tide. Some excerpts:

Q: Maestro Bartolucci, no fewer than six popes have attended your concerts. In which of them did you see the most musical expertise?

A: In the most recent one, Benedict XVI. He plays the piano, has a profound understanding of Mozart, loves the Church’s liturgy, and in consequence he places great emphasis on music.

Q: Was Perosi in some sense the harbinger of the current vulgarization of sacred music?

A: Not exactly. Today the fashion in the churches is for pop-inspired songs and the strumming of guitars, but the fault lies above all with the pseudo-intellectuals who have engineered this degeneration of the liturgy, and thus of music, overthrowing and despising the heritage of the past with the idea of obtaining who knows what advantage for the people.

Q: What are the initiatives that Benedict XVI should take to realize this plan (to bring back sacred music) in a world of discotheques and iPods?

A: ..... First we would need to return, at least for the solemn or feast day Masses, to a liturgy that gives music its proper place and expresses itself in the universal language of the Church, Latin. In the Sistine, after the liturgical reform (Vatican II), I was able to keep alive the traditional repertoire of the Chapel only in the concerts. Just think – the Missa Papae Marcelli by Palestrina has not been sung in St. Peter’s since the time of Pope John XXIII!

Q: Do you think that the assembly of the faithful should participate in singing the Gregorian chant during liturgical celebrations?

A: We must make distinctions in the performance of Gregorian chant. Part of the repertoire, for example the Introits or the Offertories, requires an extremely refined level of artistry and can be interpreted properly only by real artists. Then there is a part of the repertoire that is sung by the people: I think of the Mass “of the Angels,” the processional music, the hymns.... Gregorian chant was born in violent times, and it should be manly and strong, and not like the sweet and comforting adaptations of our own day.

Q: Do you think that the musical traditions of the past are disappearing?

A: It stands to reason: if there is not the continuity that keeps them alive, they are destined to oblivion, and the current liturgy certainly does not favor it... I am an optimist by nature, but I judge the current situation realistically, and I believe that a Napoleon without generals can do little. Today the motto is “go to the people, look them in the eyes,” but it’s all a bunch of empty talk! By doing this we end up celebrating ourselves, and the mystery and beauty of God are hidden from us. In reality, we are witnessing the decline of the West."

Recently someone compared Papa Ratzi to a chess player, who was making a series of well-thought out moves, and who was thinking many steps ahead of everyone else.   Bartolucci doubts that Papa Ratzi can bring back sacred music, but I don't.  It won't happen quickly, but a rebirth is on its way.