Michelangelo Buonarroti, God the Father with Lady Wisdom creating Adam (detail), Cappella Sistina, Vatican, 1510When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep . . . then I was beside him, like a master worker [NRSV, Proverbs 8:27,30a].
Christ Church Cathedral Choir Notes
Trinity Sunday / Corpus Christi
Click to go immediately to:
1) The Music Programme Homepage
2) The Music Calendar for Choral Eucharist, Eucharistie chantée and Evensong
3) The Concert Calendar.
Joos van Cleve, The Last Supper, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1520-25
On Corpus Christi, Thursday, May 30, at 1:00 pm, immediately following the 12:15 Eucharistie chantée, Patrick Wedd, will perform seven movements from Olivier Messiaen, Le Livre du Saint-Sacrement. Duration: approximately 30 minutes. Admission free.
By way of preparation listen to an online performance by Olivier Latry at the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre Dame, Paris.
All seven movements [musicMe]
The entire work [musicMe]
I Adoro Te [musicMe]
Je vous adore, 0 Divinité cachée!
I adore you, O hidden Deity!
II La Source de la vie / The fountain of life [musicMe]
Que toujours mon cœur ait soif de vous, O fontaine de vie, source de l'éternelle lumière.
0 may my heart ever thirst for you, fountain of life and source of eternal light.
IV Acte de foi / Act of faith [musicMe]
Mon Dieu, je crois fermement.
My God, this I firmly believe.
VIII Institution de l'Eucharistie / The institution of the Eucharist [musicMe]
Ceci est mon corps. Ceci est mon sang.
This is my body. This is my blood. (St. Matthew)
XII La Transsubstantiation / Transubstantiation [musicMe]
Sous les espèces diverses, qui ne sont plus des substances mais seulement des signes, se cachent les sublimes réalités.
Beneath two differing species (signs only, not in their substances) lie mysteries deep and rare.
XIV Prière avant la Communion / Prayer before Communion [musicMe]
Seigneur, je ne suis pas digne...mait dit seulement une parole... Lord, I am not worthy ...but only give the word...
XVII La Présence multipliée / The presence multiplied [musicMe]
Un seul le reçoit, mille le reçoivent, celui-là reçoit autant que ceux-ci; tous le reçoivent sans le consumer.
Thousands eat the Bread of Heaven, yet as much to one is given: Christ, though eaten, bideth still.
Celebrate this coming Trinity Sunday with additional Olivier Messiaen.
Olivier Messiaen, Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte-Trinité / Meditations on the Mystery of the Holy Trinity. (The prelude for Choral Eucharist is the the third movement.)
1) Le Père Inengendré: The Father Unengendered ("The Father of the Stars")
2) La Sainteté de Jésus Christ: The Holiness of Jesus Christ
3) La relation réelle en Dieu est réellement identique à l’essence: The True Relation to God is Actually Identical to the Essence
4) Je suis, Je suis !: I Am, I Am!
5) Dieu
est immense, Éternel, Immuable. Le souffle de l’Esprit – Dieu est
Amour: God is Immense, Eternal, Immovable - The Breath of the Spirit -
God is Love
6) Le Fils, Verbe et Lumière: The Son, Word and Light
7) Le
Père et le Fils aiment par le Saint-Esprit eux mêmes et nous: The
Father and the Son Love, Through the Holy Spirit, Themselves and Us
8) Dieu est simple: God is simple
9) Je suis Celui qui suis: I Am Who I Am
Click here to go to a performance by Charles Thompson at the 1927 E.M. Skinner / 1963 Aeolian-Skinner organs of the Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Performance of Thomas Daniel Schlee at the Cavaillé-Coll organ of l'Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris [musicMe] (info)
Performance of Christopher Bowers-Broadbent [musicMe] (info)
Performance by Olivier Latry on the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris. [YouTube]
Performance of Piet van der Steen at the Adema organ of St. Bavo Cathedral Basilica, Haarlem [listen]
Olivier Messiaen,
who was titular of the Cavaillé-Coll organ of l'Eglise de la
Sainte-Trinité in Paris for 66 years, composed other organ music in
praise of the Blessed Trinity as well.
The Pièce en trio, No. 1, from the Livre d'orgue, was composed for Trinity Sunday. Listen: Louis Thiry
As was the Pièce en trio, No. 2, also from the Livre d'orgue.
Listen: Louis Thiry
And the last movement of Le Corps glorieux / The Glorified Body: La Mystère de la Sainte-Trinité / The Mystery of the Blessed Trinity. Listen: Thomas Trotter.
The Pièce en trio, No. 1, from the Livre d'orgue, was composed for Trinity Sunday. Listen: Louis Thiry
As was the Pièce en trio, No. 2, also from the Livre d'orgue.
Listen: Louis Thiry
And the last movement of Le Corps glorieux / The Glorified Body: La Mystère de la Sainte-Trinité / The Mystery of the Blessed Trinity. Listen: Thomas Trotter.
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Stephen of Liège (Étienne de Liège) (c.850-920) was bishop of Liège from 901 to 920. He was a hagiographer and composer of church music. His In Festo Sanctissimae Trinitatis,
an office for the feast of the Trinity, was instrumental in the
establishment of Trinity Sunday as a feast throughout the Church..
Click to go to a performance of Stephen of Liège, In Festo Sanctissimae Trinitatis, performed by Psallentes, Hendrick vanden Abeele conducting.
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Gloria tibi Trinitas equalis una deitas
Glory to thee, equal trinity, single deity,
et ante omnia secula et nunc et in perpetuum.
before all ages, now, and forever.
Click to read about Gloria tibi Trinitas, the antiphon that introduces the initial psalm of First Vespers (Roman Catholic) for the eve of Trinity Sunday.
Organ voluntaries this Sunday by John Bull are all based on Gloria tibi Trinitas.
Organ voluntaries this Sunday by John Bull are all based on Gloria tibi Trinitas.
Performance in plainchant by the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. [YouTube] [Beginning up to 0:38]
Performance of Thomas Tallis, Gloria tibi Trinitas, by the Chapelle du Roi; Andrew Benson-Wilson, organ; Alistair Dixon conducting [musicMe]
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To hear John Stainer, Anthem for Trinity Sunday, I Saw the Lord (text), performed by the Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, Barry Rose conducting and John Scott on the 1949 Wicks organ of the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, click here, then click on "Part I," then hold button and slide to 4:45 (4 minutes and 45 seconds).
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Charles Tournemire, L'orgue mystique: Cycle after Pentecost, Op. 56: Nos. 26-27
Offertory [YouTube]
Elevation [YouTube]
Communion [YouTube]
Tryptich [YouTube]
Prelude for the Introit [YouTube]
Click for the entire performance of L'Orgue mystique by Georges Delvallée.
Elevation [YouTube]
Communion [YouTube]
Tryptich [YouTube]
Mass of Corpus Christi
Prelude for the Introit [YouTube]
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Click to go to Bach Cantatas for Online Listening.
The Holy Trinity, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1300-50
Bach Cantatas for Trinity Sunday:
Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Gelobet sei der Herr / Praised be the Lord, Cantata 129, with performances by Gardiner, Leonhardt, Leusink and Richter.
Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad / O sacred bath of water and the Spirit, Cantata 165, with performances by Gardiner, Leonhardt and Leusink.
Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Es ist ein trotzig and verzagt Ding / There is something obstinate and desperate, Cantata 176, with performances by Gardiner, Herreweghe, Leonhardt and Leusink.
Click to go to Johann Sebastian Bach, Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest / Most greatly longed for feast of joy, Cantata 194, with performances by Gardiner, Harnoncourt, Leusink and Suzuki.