November 27, 2011


Albrecht Dürer, The Last Judgment, Harvard University, Cambridge, 1511

Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come [NRSV, Ezekiel 34:23]. 

The First Sunday of Advent
November 27, 2011

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Marcel Dupré

The Postlude for Choral Eucharist this coming Sunday is the first movement of Marcel Dupré, Symphonie-Passion.  Listen to the entire work performed by Henri-Franck Beaupérin on the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Cathedral of Angers:

I - Le Monde dans l'attente du Sauveur [YouTube]


II - Nativité [YouTube]


III - Crucifixion [YouTube]


IV - Résurrection [YouTube]


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Christmas Rose


A procession with Lessons and Carols for Advent
Sunday, November 27, 2011, at 4:00 pm

Preludes:
Es ist ein' ros’, James Woodman (b. 1957)
Es ist ein' ros’ [info/listen], Johannes Brahms (1833-97)

Advent Responsory: I look from afar [text], Patrick Wedd (b. 1948)

O Antiphons [information], Healey Willan (1880-1968)

O quickly come [text/listen], Antony Pitts (b. 1969)


Machet die Tore weit, [text/listen], Andreas Hammerschmidt (1612-75)      

Lo, how a rose [info/listen], trad.; harm. Praetorius; arr. Phil Mattson

Zion, at thy shining gates [text]
Bohemian Brethren's Kirchengesänge (1566), arr. George Guest (1924-2002)

Nova! Nova! [text/listen], Bob Chilcott  (b. 1955)

Dixit Maria [text/listen], Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612)

This is the record of John [text/listen]Orlando Gibbons
(1583-1625)

People, look east [text] [YouTube], French, arr. Martin Shaw (1875-1958)

Never weather-beaten sail [text]
, Richard Shephard (b. 1949)

Gaudete omnes et laetamini [text], Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621)

Postlude:
Fantasy: Lo, he comes, Kenneth Leighton (1929-88)

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The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Patrick Wedd, director, will join with the McGill Chamber Orchestra and Hélène Brunet, soprano; Daniel Taylor, counter-tenor; Rufus Müller, tenor; Alexander Dobson, bass; with Boris Brott conducting to perform George Frideric HandelMessiah, at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday, November 28, at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $45-$20.

The Annual Handel's Messiah Sing-Along will take place at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday, December 10, at 5 pm, with the Cathedral Singers and orchestra, Patrick Wedd directing. Scores are available. Free admission / voluntary contribution.


A free live (and on-demand) performance of Handel's Messiah by the Trinity Church (Wall Street) Choir with the Trinity Baroque Orchestra, Julian Wachnerconductor, will be webcast on Sunday, December 11, from 
3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Program and text available.  Click here on the current choir notes just before it is scheduled to begin.  

Click to read about Messiah with access to a number of free online performances.

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Bach Cantatas for the First Sunday of Advent:


Fra Angelico, Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven, National Gallery, London, 15th cent.


Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Schwingt freudig euch empor Soar in your joy, Cantata 36, with performances by GardinerHarnoncourt, KuijkenLeusink, and Rilling.


Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland / Now come, Saviour of the Gentiles, Cantata 61, with performances by GardinerHarnoncourt, LeusinkRichterand Thomas.


Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland / Now come, Saviour of the gentiles, 
Cantata 62, with performances by GardinerHarnoncourt, Leusink, and Salamon. 

November 20, 2011


Good Shepherd, Museo Epigrafico, Rome, 4th cent.


"I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd [NRSV, Ezekiel 34:23]." 

The Reign of Christ / Dedication Festival
November 20, 2011

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Following the sermon this coming Sunday, the Dedication Festival of the Cathedral, there will be a liturgical dance to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Laudate Dominum.



Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes ; laudate eum, omnes populi. Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus, et veritas Domini manet in æternum. Gloria Patri…

Praise the Lord, all nations; praise him, all peoples. Certain is his love and mercy for us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.Glory be to the Father… (Psalm 117)

Performance by Greta de Reyghere, soprano; the Collegium Instrumentale Brugense, Patrick Peire conducting [YouTube

Performance by Joshua Bell, violin; Orchestra of St. Luke's, Michael Stern conducting [YouTube]


Performance by Cecilia Bartoli; the Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Roberto Gabbiani, director; and the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Myung-Whun Chung directing. [YouTube]


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Charles-Marie Widor

The organ voluntaries for Choral Eucharist last Sunday were from Charles-Marie Widor,Organ Symphony No. 4.  This coming Sunday they are from Organ Symphony No. 5.  The 10 organ symphonies by Widor performed by Hans Ole Thers on the 1879-1986 Olsen / Marcussen and Søn organ of the Helligåndskirken, Copenhagen, are available for free online listening by the Naxos Music Library. Check with your librarian.  Cardholders of the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec, ready to open their account online, click here: [BNQ]; cardholders of theBibliothèque de Montréal click here: [BM].

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Christmas Rose

Advent Carol Service
Sunday, November 27, 2011, at 4:00 pm

Preludes:
Es ist ein' ros’, James Woodman

Es ist ein' ros’, Johannes Brahms [info/listen]

Advent Responsory: I look from afarPatrick Wedd [text

O Antiphons, Healey Willan  [information

O quickly come, Antony Pitts [text/listen

Machet die Tore weit, Andreas Hammerschmidt [text/listen]         

Lo, how a rose, trad.; harm. Praetorius; arr. Phil Mattson [info/listen]


Zion, at thy shining gates, Bohemian Brethren's Kirchengesänge (1566), arr. George Guest [text]


Nova! Nova! Bob Chilcott  [text/listen]


Dixit Maria, Hans Leo Hassler [text/listen]


This is the record of JohnOrlando Gibbons [text/listen]


People, look east, French, arr. Martin Shaw [text] [YouTube]


Never weather-beaten sail, Richard Shephard [text]


Gaudete omnes et laetamini, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck [text]

Postlude:

Fantasy “Lo, he comes," Kenneth Leighton




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The 5th Anniversary of the Bach Festival Montreal will take place from November 8 to November 20, 2011.

Click for complete information.




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Bach Cantatas for the Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity:



Follower of Rembrandt, The Unmerciful Servant, The Wallace Collection, London, c.1660

Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknech / I, wretched man , I, slave of sin, Cantata 55, with performances by LeonhardtLeusinkLindeRichter and Thomas.


Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Was soll ich aus dir machen, Ephraim? / What am I to make of you , Ephraim?, Cantata 89, with performances by LeonhardtLeusink and Suzuki.


Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit / Make yourself ready, my spirit, Cantata 115, with performances by CoinHarnoncourt, LeusinkRichter and Rilling.

November 13, 2011


Gustave Doré, Deborah, engraving, 1865
She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you, 'Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun.  I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand [NRSV, Judges 4:6-7].'" 

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
November 13, 2011

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Scroll down for information about the Music Orbium concert, November 13, 7:30 pm.


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Charles-Marie Widor

The organ voluntaries for Choral Eucharist this coming Sunday are from Charles-Marie Widor, Organ Symphony No. 4.  The 10 organ symphonies by Widor performed by Hans Ole Thers on the 1879-1986 Olsen / Marcussen and Søn organ of the Helligåndskirken, Copenhagen, are available for free online listening by the Naxos Music Library. Check with your librarian.  Cardholders of the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec, ready to open their account online, click here: [BNQ]; cardholders of the Bibliothèque de Montréal click here: [BM].


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William Byrd

The Mass setting for Choral Eucharist this coming Sunday is William Byrd, Mass for four voices.

William Byrd composed three Masses: one for three, four and five voices.

Performance of the three Masses by the Choir of Winchester Cathedral, David Hill conducting. [musicMe]

Performance of the three Masses by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, David Willcocks conducting. [musicMe]

Performance of the Mass for four voices by the Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips conducting. [YouTube]

Performance of the Mass for four voices by The Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier conducting. [Grooveshark]

Performance of the Mass for four voices by the Vassar College Choir, Christine Howlett conducting. [YouTube]

Performance of the Mass for five voices by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Philip Ledger conducting. [musicMe]

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The Virtual Byrd Choir is the sacred music unit of the Virtual Wilbye Consort.  Both activities, founded in Tokyo in 2001, rely on one Japanese male voice.

Click to hear Byrd, Mass for Four Voices (KyrieGloria, CredoSanctusBenedictusAgnus Dei), performed by the Virtual Byrd Choir.

Click to hear Byrd, Mass for Three Voices (KyrieGloriaCredoSanctusBenedictusAgnus Dei), performed by the Virtual Byrd Choir.

Click to hear Byrd, Mass for Five Voices (KyrieGloriaCredoSanctusBenedictusAgnus Dei), performed by the Virtual Byrd Choir.


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Musica Orbium


Sunday November 13, 2011 at 7:30 pm


Remembrance






Johannes Brahms -  Ein Deutsches Requiem
Dan Locklair - Gloria in excelsis, from Brief Mass 
Paul Patterson - Kyrie and Gloria
Healey Willan - Kyrie Eleison, from  Missa Brevis 5


Musica Orbium
Patrick Wedd, Artistic Director
Stéphanie Manias, soprano
Dion Mazarolle, baritone

Anne-marie Denoncourt, piano
Pamela Reime
r, piano


Christ Church Cathedral
1444 Avenue Union
Montréal, QC H3A 2B8




In honour of Remembrance Day, we celebrate the living and remember those who have passed, through profound, eternal works composed by our contemporaries and those who have gone before them. From Willan’s stunning polyphonic Kyrie, to Locklair’s dynamic illumination of the Gloria. From the wild, jazzy rhythms and uninhibited outcries of Patterson’s striking Kyrie and Gloria to Brahms’ profound and majestic masterpiece, with which he changed the traditional ‘mass for the dead’ to point out a path of hope for mankind. We present the version for choir, soloists, and piano four hands as arranged by Brahms himself.

Click to go to the Musica Orbium website to order tickets.

To prepare click to go to online performances by prominent ensembles.

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The 5th Anniversary of the Bach Festival Montreal will take place from November 8 to November 20, 2011.

Click for complete information.

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, November 9, 10 and 11, The Montreal Symphony Orchestra will perform Johann Sebastian Bach, Saint John Passion.  Click for details.

Click to go to ten free online performances of the Saint John Passion.