December 24-25-26, 2010


Sandro Botticelli, Mystic Nativity, National Gallery, London, 1501
 
Christ Church Cathedral Choir Notes
Christmas / 1st Sunday after Christmas

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Two of the organ voluntaries for Christmas are the work of  Louis-Claude Daquin.  Click to go to his complete organ works performed by Olivier Baumont at the 1714 Boizard organ of the Abbey of Saint-Michel de Thiérache.
Louis-Claude Daquin
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The postlude for the Christmas Eve Choral Eucharist is Charles-Marie Widor, Toccata from Symphonie No. 5. Click to listen to a performance of the entire Symphonie No. 5, or any of its movements, by Marie-Claire Alain at the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Church of St. Germain-en-Laye.
Charles-Marie Widor
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Once in Royal David's City sung by Edward Burrowes and the St. Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott conducting. (The painting is by Piero della Francesca, 1470, and hangs in the National Gallery, London.)

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California Boys' Choir

One of Benjamin Britten's very popular accomplishments is his Ceremony of Carols.

Click to read about the Ceremony of Carols.

Click to hear the Ceremony of Carols performed by the California Boys’ Choir. 

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Fra Filippo Lippi and Workshop, The Nativity, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., c. 1445

Online performances of Johann Sebastian Bach, Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, with versions conducted by Georg Christoph Biller / Riccardo Chailly / Diego Fasolis / John Eliot Gardiner / Phillip Ledger / Karl Münchinger) 

Cantata I for the 1st Day of Christmas 

Cantata II for the 2nd Day of Christmas 

Cantata III for the 3rd Day of Christmas 

Cantata IV for New Year's Day 

Cantata V for the Sunday after New Year 

Cantata VI for the Feast of Epiphany

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Vittore Carpaccio, Flight into Egypt, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1500

The Gospel reading for December 26 tells of the Flight into Egypt.  Click to go to an online performance of Hector Berlioz, L'Enfance du Christ with Nicolai Gedda, Victoria de los Angeles, Ernest Blan, Roger Soyer, the René Duclos Choir, l'Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, André Cluytens conducting.

Click to go to a second performance with Yves Saelens, Miyaghi Osada,  Olivier Lallouette, André Cognet, Gregory Reinhart, il Coro della Radio Televisione Svizzera Italiana (Diego Fasolis, chorus master); l'Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Serge Baudo conducting.

December 19, 2010


Philippe de Champaigne, The Dream of St. Joseph, National Gallery, London, 1642-3

Christ Church Cathedral Choir Notes
The Fourth Sunday of Advent

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Patrick Wedd will perform Olivier Messiaen, La Nativité du Seigneur, on the 1980 Wilhelm organ of Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday, December 18, at 5:00 pm. Admission free / voluntary contribution.

Click to listen to Olivier Messiaen himself perform La Nativité du Seigneur at the Cavaillé-Coll grand organ of Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris, of which he was titular, 1931-92.

Click to listen to Timothy Byram-Wigfield  perform La Nativité du Seigneur at the Harrisons organ of St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

Click to listen to Messiaen's La Nativité du Seigneur from Pipedreams, Minnesota PBS, each movement performed by a different organist.

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The postlude for evensong this coming Sunday is Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland. Click to read about Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck with access to his organ and choral music.

Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck

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On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, the version of Creator of the Stars at Night, the quintessential Advent hymn, is that of Malcolm Archer, the anthem at evensong.


Sano di Pietro, God creating the stars
 

Click to read about Conditor alme siderum and to listen to a wide selection of choral and organ arrangements. 


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The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral will join with the McGill Chamber Orchestra and Suzie Leblanc, soprano; Daniel Taylor, counter-tenor; Rufus Müller, tenor; Alexander Dobson, bass; with Boris Brott conducting; to perform George Frideric Handel, Messiah, at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday, December 20, at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $45-$10.

Click to read about Messiah and access a wide variety of performances including three complete video performances by the Trinity Church (Wall Street) choir conducted by Andrew Megill (2008), Jane Glover (2009) or Julian Wachner (December 13, 2010).

 Over 6,000,000 viewers have already watched this random act of culture: The Opera Company of Philadelphia and 650 choristers accompanied by the Wanamaker organ, the world's largest, suddenly bursting out with the Hallelujah Chorus in Macy's Department Store, Philadelphia.  Click to watch.  

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Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata 62, performed by John Eliot Gardiner and Pieter Jan Leusink.


Netherlandish Miniaturist, Entry into Jerusalem, Très Belles Heures de Notre Dame de Jean de Berry, Museo Civico d'Arte Antica, Palazzo Madama, Turin, 1409

December 12, 2010

Moscow School, John the Baptist, The State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin, 1560s

This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you [NRSV,Matthew 11:10].'


Christ Church Cathedral Choir Notes
The Third Sunday of Advent

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The incipit for the Gregorian chant introit from which Gaudete Sunday gets its name.

This coming Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, has traditionally been known as Gaudete Sunday, after the introit of the Latin Mass.  It will be chanted at Choral Eucharist. Rose vestments may be worn and a rose candle is often lit on the Advent Wreath.

Gaudéte in Dómino semper: íterum dico, gaudéte. Modéstia vestra nota sit ómnibus homínibus: Dóminus enim prope est. Nihil solíciti sitis: sed in omni oratióne petitiónes vestræ innotéscant apud Deum. Benedixísti Dómine terram suam: avertísti captivitátem Jacob. 

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice; let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. (Philippians 4:4-6).

Giovanni Vianini, Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis, Milano, Gaudete in Domino, Tone 1 [YouTube] (preceded by BWV 722) 
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Es ist ein Ros entsprungen / Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming is a popular Christmas carol dating back to the 16th century.  Michael Praetorius' choral piece and organs versions by Johannes Brahms and James Woodman will be performed at Choral Eucharist and evensong this coming Sunday, December 12.  

Click to read about Es ein Ros entsprungen and to listen to organ versions by Brahms and Max Baumann and choral versions by Praetorius, Hugo Distler and Herbert Howells(A Spotless Rose, after the translation of Catherine Winkworth).
 
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The Annual Handel's Messiah Sing-Along will take place at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday, December 11, at 5 pm, with the Cathedral Singers, Musica Orbium and orchestra, Patrick Wedd directing. Scores are available. Free admission / voluntary contribution.

The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral will join with the McGill Chamber Orchestra and Suzie Leblanc, soprano; Daniel Taylor, counter-tenor; Rufus Müller, tenor; Alexander Dobson, bass; with Boris Brott conducting; to perform George Frideric Handel, Messiah, at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday, December 20, at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $45-$10.

Click to read about Messiah and access a wide variety of performances including two video performances by the Trinity Church (Wall Street) choir with the Rebel Baroque Orchestra conducted by either Andrew Megill or Jane Glover.

Almost 6,000,000 viewers have already watched this random act of culture: The Opera Company of Philadelphia and 650 choristers accompanied by the Wanamaker organ, the world's largest, suddenly bursting out with the Hallelujah Chorus in Macy's Department Store, Philadelphia.  Click to watch.  

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Patrick Wedd will perform Olivier Messiaen, La Nativité du Seigneur, on the 1980 Wilhelm organ of Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday, December 18, at 5:00 pm. Admission free / voluntary contribution.

Click to listen to Olivier Messiaen himself perform La Nativité du Seigneur at the Cavaillé-Coll grand organ of Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris, of which he was titular, 1931-92.

Click to listen to Timothy Byram-Wigfield  perform La Nativité du Seigneur at the Harrisons organ of St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

Click to listen to Messiaen's La Nativité du Seigneur from Pipedreams, Minnesota PBS, each movement performed by a different organist.

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Fra Angelico, Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven

December 5, 2010

 

Jan Mostaert, Tree of Jesse, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1485

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious [NRSV, Isaiah 11:10].

Christ Church Cathedral Choir Notes
The Second Sunday of Advent

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Both organ voluntaries for Choral Eucharist this coming Sunday, December 5, (BWV 659 and 661) find their inspiration in Luther’s hymn,  Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, which in turn finds its source in Ambrose’s hymn, Intende qui regis Israel. Johann Sebastian Bach uses Luther’s text in his Cantatas 36, 61 and 62.  Scroll down for access to Cantata 61.  Cantatas 36 and 62 will be posted for online listening in the coming weeks.  Click to go to a thorough treatment in bach-cantatas.com.  Click to go to a number of versions for organ.
 
Graham Sutherland, Christ the King, Coventry Cathedral, 1952-62


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To be sung both at Choral Eucharist and evensong this coming Sunday, December 5:  "The Advent Prose is a series of texts adapted from the book of the prophet Isaiah, and said, or more usually sung, in churches during the season of Advent. In its Latin form, it is attributed to Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, who lived in the fourth century."  -- Everything. Rorate Caeli, (the Communion motet this Sunday) as distinguished from the Advent Prose, is, in its origin, the Introit, or opening chant, of the Roman Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent.  Click for the texts and to listen to versions of both. 

El Greco, Annunciation, Colección Santander Central hispano, Madrid,  1608-14
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The Annual Handel's Messiah Sing-Along will take place at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday, December 11, at 5 pm, with the Cathedral Singers and orchestra, Patrick Wedd directing. Scores are available. Free admission / voluntary contribution.

The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral will join with the McGill Chamber Orchestra and Suzie Leblanc, soprano; Daniel Taylor, counter-tenor; Rufus Müller, tenor; Alexander Dobson, bass; with Boris Brott conducting to perform George Frideric Handel, Messiah, at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday, December 20, at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $45-$10.

Click to read about Messiah and access a choice of two video performance by the Trinity Church (Wall Street) choir with the Rebel Baroque Orchestra conducted by either Andrew Megill or Jane Glover.

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