Music List

Choral music and liturgical recitals

January to June 2012

The choir of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin is a professional ensemble that sings music for the liturgy.  At each Solemn Mass, the traditional chants are sung to plainsong in the original Latin. The choir, in its role as a servant of the liturgical assembly, sings a setting of the Mass ordinary and an anthem or motet during Communion. The choir’s repertoire of Masses and motets stretches from the Middle Ages to works by living composers. This music is heard in a liturgical context and in a spectacular acoustic, which is not unlike many of the great churches of Europe for which much of this music was written.  The liturgical life at Saint Mary’s also provides substantial opportunities for congregational singing of hymns, psalms and canticles, in addition to other great music of the Western tradition. 

All services are at 11 A.M. unless otherwise stated.

Sunday, January 1 – The Second Sunday after Christmas Day

Mass for Three Voices – William Byrd (1543–1623)

Coventry Carol – Anon. c. 15th

There is no organ recital this evening.

Friday, January 6 – The Feast of the Epiphany

Organ recital, 5:30 P.M.: James Kennerley (Organist and Music Director)

Music of Buxtehude and Dupré. 

At the Solemn Mass, 6 P.M.:

Missa pro Victoria – Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)

Surge, illuminare, Jerusalem – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594)

Sunday, January 8 – The First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Messe Brève de Angelis – Jacques Chailley (1910–1999)

Quem vidistis pastores – Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)

Sunday, January 15 – The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Missa ‘O Magnum mysterium’ – Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)

Omnes de saba – Jacob Handl (1550–1591)

Organ recital, 4:40 P.M.: Craig Scott Symonds, Old Greenwich, Connecticut, and friends

Sunday, January 22 – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Missa Cantate domino – Alonso Lobo (c. 1555–1617)

Here is the little door – Herbert Howells (1892–1983)

Sunday, January 29 – The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Missa sopra 'l'Aria della Monica' a 8 – Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643)

Magi veniunt ab Oriente – Clemens non Papa (1510/15–1555/56)

Wednesday, February 1 – The Eve of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple

At Solemn Evensong, 6 P.M.:

The Dorian Service – Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585)

Hodie beata virgo – William Byrd (1543–1623)

Thursday, February 2 – The Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Organ recital, 5:30 P.M.: James Kennerley (Organist and Music Director)

Organ Sonata in G major, opus 28 - Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934)

At the Solemn Mass, 6 P.M.:

Nunc dimittis from the Evening Service: Collegium Regale – Herbert Howells (1892–1983)

Communion Service: Collegium Regale – Howells

Salve Regina – Howells

Sunday, February 5 – The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Missa Octo vocum – Hans Leo Hassler (1512–1562)

Reges Tharsis – John Sheppard (c. 1515–1559/60)

Monday, February 6 – Ordination service

Tonight’s choral music is sung by New York Polyphony

At the Solemn Mass, 6 P.M.:

Mass for Four Voices – William Byrd (1543–1623)

Ave verum corpus – Grayston Ives (b. 1948)

Sunday, February 12 – The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Communion Service in F – Harold Darke (1888–1976)

Like as the hart – Herbert Howells (1892–1983)

Sunday, February 19 – The Last Sunday after the Epiphany

Mass in G, D 167 – Franz Schubert (1797–1828)

The Heavens are telling from The Creation, Hob. XXI:2  – Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)

Wednesday, February 22 – Ash Wednesday

At the Solemn Mass, 6 P.M.:

Missa Aeterna Christi Munera – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594)

Miserere, mei, Deus – Gregorio Allegri (1582–1652)

In iejunio et fletu – Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585)

Sunday, February 26 – The First Sunday in Lent

Missa brevis in D minor, opus 83 – Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (1839–1901)

Hear my prayer, O Lord – Henry Purcell (1659(?)–1695)

Sunday, March 4 – The Second Sunday in Lent

Missa syllabica (1977/1996) – Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)

Miserere mei – Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585)

Sunday, March 11 – The Third Sunday in Lent

Mass for Four Voices – Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585)

Remember me, O Lord – Thomas Tomkins (1572–1656)

Sunday, March 18 – The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Communion Service in D, opus 45 – Kenneth Leighton (1929–1988)

God so loved the world – Bob Chilcott (b. 1955)

Sunday, March 25 – The Fifth Sunday in Lent

Messe Basse – Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)

Cantique de Jean Racine – Fauré

Monday, March 26 – The Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Organ duet recital, 5:30 P.M.:

James Kenerley (Organist and Music Director) and Joseph Arndt (Grace Church in Newark)

At the Solemn Mass, 6 P.M.:

Missa a sei voci ‘In illo tempore’ – Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)

Ave maria – Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)

Sunday, April 1 – The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

Missa in die tribulationis (1980) – McNeil Robinson (b. 1943)

Christus factus est – Robert McCormick (b. 1978)

Improperium – Robinson

Thursday, April 5 – Maundy Thursday

At the Solemn Mass, 6 P.M.:

Missa Brevis – Kenneth Leighton (1929–1988)

Ubi caritas – James Kennerley (b. 1984)

Friday, April 6 – Good Friday

At the 12:30 P.M. service:

Christus Factus – James Kennerley (b. 1984)

The Reproaches – John Sanders (1933–2003)

At the 6 P.M. service:

Christus Factus – James Kennerley

The Reproaches – Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)

Saturday, April 7 – The Great Vigil of Easter

Messe solennelle (1951) – Jean Langlais (1907–1991)

Surrexit a mortuis, opus 23 No. 3 – Charles–Marie Widor (1844–1937)

Sunday, April 8 –  Easter Day

At the Solemn Mass, 11 AM:

Vidi aquam – Michael Haydn (1737–1806)

Krönungsmesse, KV 317 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

Regina Coeli, KV 276 – Mozart

Organ recital, 4:30 P.M.:

James Kennerley, Organist and Music Director

At Solemn Evensong and Benediction, 5 P.M.:

Hail, gladdening light – Charles Wood (1866–1926)

Evening Canticles in D major – George Dyson (1883–1964)

O Salutaris No. 3 – Edward Elgar (1857–1934)

Tantum ergo – James Kennerley (b. 1984)

Sunday, April 15 –  The Second Sunday of Easter

Missa ‘Ego flos campi’ – Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla (c. 1590–1664)

Alleluia: Dic nobis Maria – Antonio de Salazar (c.1650–1715)

Sunday, April 22 –  The Third Sunday of Easter

Missa Brevis, opus 57 – Lennox Berkeley (1903–1989)

The Lord is my shepherd – Berkeley

Sunday, April 29 –  The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Messe pour le samedi de Pâques – Marc–Antoine Charpentier (1645/50–1704)

Regina coeli, H 46 - Charpentier 

Sunday, May 6 – The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Missa brevis C–dur, KV 220 (Spatzenmesse) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore, KV 339 – Mozart

Sunday, May 13 – The Sixth Sunday of Easter

Missa pater peccavi – Andrea Gabrieli

Haec dies – William Byrd (1540–1623)

Wednesday, May 16 – The Eve of the Ascension

At Solemn Evensong, 6 P.M.:

Evening Service in G major – John Blow (1649–1708)

Ascendens Christus – Jacob Handl (1550–1591)

Thursday, May 17 – Ascension Day

Organ recital, 5:30 P.M.: Matthew Phelps (Bronxville, New York)

At the Solemn Mass, 6 P.M.:

Mass – Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)

O clap your hands together – Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625) 

Sunday, May 20 – The Seventh Sunday of Easter

Missa ‘Qual Donna’ – Orlande de Lassus (1532–1594)

Viri Galilaei – Dulos Couillart (sixteenth–century)

Sunday, May 27 – The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday

Missa ‘Dum complerentur’ – Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)

Dum complerentur – Victoria

Sunday, June 3 – The First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday

Asperges me – Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)

Edinburgh Mass – Gabriel Jackson (b. 1962)

Tibi laus – Peter Philips (1560/61–1628)

Te Deum from the Great Service – William Byrd (1543–1623)

Sunday, June 10 – Corpus Christi

Messe Solennelle, opus 16 – Louis Vierne (1870–1937)

Ave verum corpus – Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)

O sacrum convivium – Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992)      

O Salutaris – Marcel Dupré (1886–1971)
Tantum ergo– Dupré

This is the final Sunday in the professional choir’s season.  The choir sings each Sunday at the Solemn Mass from October to Corpus Christi, in addition to the major feasts of the church year that fall on weekdays.  The full choir will next sing at the Feast of the Assumption, Monday August 15 at 6 P.M., with an organ recital at 5:30 P.M.. Weekly sung services will resume in October. During the summer months, services are sung by smaller groups or soloists drawn from the main choir.  Please check the website for details.