Michelangelo Buonarroti, God the Father with Lady Wisdom creating Adam (detail),
Cappella Sistina, Vatican, 1510
Christ Church Cathedral Choir Notes
Trinity Sunday
Click to go immediately to:
Celebrate Trinity Sunday with Olivier Messiaen.
Olivier Messiaen, Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte-Trinité / Meditations on the Mystery of the Holy Trinity.
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]
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 ofSt. Bavo Cathedral Basilica, Haarlem [listen]
Olivier Messiaen, who was titular of the Cavaillé-Coll organof 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.
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.
Two of the organ voluntaries for this Sunday are versions of John Bull, Gloria tibi Trinitas. A recording of Bull's organ music performed by Kevin Komisaruk on the1984 Wolff organ of the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Montreal, is available to listen online from theNaxos Music Library [BNQ; BM] (info) and to borrow from La Bibliothèque nationale du Québec (Montreal). Check for availability. [BNQ]
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Sandro Botticelli, Holy Trinity (Pala delle Convertite), Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1491-93
Gloria tibi Trinitas: Antiphon, Motet, Mass and In Nomine
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.
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 [BNQ; BM] (info)
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John Taverner composed a Mass based on the plainchant antiphon, Gloria tibi Trinitas. This Mass has no Kyrie because it was common at the time to trope the Kyrie.
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John Bull, In Nomine, Fitzwilliam Virginal Book XXXVII(one of at least 12 In Nomine by John Bull) [YouTube]
To listen to John Bull, In Nomine, performed by Etienne Baillot on the 1981 Garnier organ of the Cathédrale Saint Étienne, Metz, Click here, then click on "Listen to the Program," then hold button and slide to 44:27 (44 minutes and 27 seconds) (followed by Fantasia at 46:53).
Fretwork has a recording, In Nomine, accompanied by excellent liner notes, all available online at the Naxos Music Library. Check with your librarian. [BNQ; BM] (info). In Nomine may be borrowed from the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec. Check for availability.
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Mass of Trinity Sunday
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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.