Choral Vespers from London Oratory Wed, 20th Sept 2017

[DracoM]

Choral Vespers for Ember Wednesday Wed, 20th Sept 2017
The Church of the London Oratory


Order of Service:


Organ Prelude: Praeludium octavi toni (Fischer)
Invitatory: Deus in adjutorium meum intende (Zacharia)
Psalms 128, 129, 130, 131, 132 (Plainsong)
Hymn: Caeli Deus sanctissime (Plainsong)
Canticle: Magnificat primi toni (Victoria)
Antiphon of Our Lady: Salve Regina à 6 (Victoria)
Organ Voluntary: Chorale Prelude on Jesus Christus, unser Heiland BWV 665 (Bach)

Organist: Ben Bloor
Director of Music: Patrick Russill

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[ardcarp]

As an eavesdropper on Choral Vespers as done at The Oratory we got what it said on the tin, even if for many CE regulars it was a bit dominated by monody. Maybe the fact that it was an Ember Day gave us a little more than usual. The Victoria however seemed all the more glorious for it!

I remember attending (as part of a demo choir) a plainsong day given by the wonderful Mary Berry (no not that one!). At the end we burst into Victoria's Salve Regina a 8 and the effect was stunning. Everyone in the choir agreed that the emotional effect was heightened by several hours of plainsong (which incidentally had no organ accomp).