September 6, 2009

Fra Angelico, St. Lawrence distributing alms (detail), Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican, 1447-49

Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor (NRSV, Proverbs 22:9).

Christ Church Cathedral Choir Notes
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Click to go immediately to:

1) The
Music Programme Homepage

2) The Music Calendar for Choral Eucharist and Evensong

3) The Concert Calendar


Our gratitude and best wishes to Donald Hunt, assistant organist, as he moves on from Christ Church Cathedral to Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, England, where he will take up the post of organ scholar. His debut concert will be Olivier Messiaen, La Nativité du Seigneur, on Truro's splendid Willis organ on December 20. And we welcome our new assistant organist: Hilary Punnett.



The two organ voluntaries for evensong this coming Sunday, September 6, are by John Stanley. Click to listen to a dozen of his voluntaries performed by Richard Marlow on the 1975 Metzler organ of Trinity College, Cambridge.


The Montreal Symphony Orchestra begins its 2009-2010 season on Tuesday, September 8; Wednesday, September 9; at 8:00 pm; and Sunday, September 13; at 2:30 pm, with performances of Hector Berlioz, Requiem, "Grande Messe des morts," Kent Nagano conducting; Michael Zaugg, directing the OSM Chorus; Michael Schade, tenor. Click to listen to a performance by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Robert Spano conducting; Norman Mackenzie, director of the chorus; Frank Lopardo, tenor.


2009 Commemoration: The 250 aniversary of the death of George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

The psalm setting (Psalm 110, Vulgate 109) Dixit Dominus, HWV 232, was completed by George Frideric Handel in April 1707 while living in Italy. It is Handel's earliest surviving autograph. It is most likely that the work was first performed on July 16, 1707, in the Church of Santa Maria in Montesanto, under the patronage of the Colonna family (Wikipedia). Click to read brief programme notes by Barry Creasy. Click to go to performances by the Choir and Orchestra of Westminster Abbey, Simon Preston conducting; and by The King's College Choir, Cambridge, and the English Chamber Orchestra, Stephen Cleobury conducting.





Click to go to John Browne, Stabat Mater dolorosa, performed by the Taverner Choir (male choir), Andrew Parrott conducting.





Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata 161, performed by counter-tenor Drew Minter, bass William Sharp, soprano Julianne Baird, American Bach Soloists; with tenor Jeffrey Thomas conducting.