Choral Evening Prayer Westminster Cathedral November, 2nd 2011

[DracoM]

Westminster Cathedral
Solemn Requiem Mass for the Faithful Departed


Order of Service:



Introit: Requiem æternam (Victoria)
First Lesson: Isaiah 25: 6-9
Gradual: Requiem æternam (Victoria)
Second Lesson: Matthew 11:25-30
Homily: Fr Alexander Master
Offertory: Domine Iesu Christe (Victoria)
Sanctus (Victoria)
Agnus Dei (Victoria)
Communion: Lux aeterna (Victoria)



Martin Baker (Master of Music)

[Tim]

One of two Catholic services being broadcast this month. Both should be good.

[Simon]

Well, the music's good enough! Hope the choir is up to it.

[Tim]

Well, the music's good enough! Hope the choir is up to it.

Of course they will be.

[Chris Newman]

Well, the music's good enough! Hope the choir is up to it.

Negative AS EVER, simon.

[french frank]

What a peculiar comment, Simon.

Satisfying to hear a Mass such as the Victoria sung in a liturgical context, especially a Requiem on All Souls' Day. Is it obvious to those who know about these things which Mass it is?

[Anna]

What a peculiar comment, Simon.

Satisfying to hear a Mass such as the Victoria sung in a liturgical context, especially a Requiem on All Souls' Day. Is it obvious to those who know about these things which Mass it is?

Simon often makes peculiar comments.

[french frank]

Be that as ...

Wikipedia gives details of a 6-part Officium Defunctorum of 1605 and an earlier 4-part Missa pro Defunctis.

[Tim]

What a peculiar comment, Simon.

Satisfying to hear a Mass such as the Victoria sung in a liturgical context, especially a Requiem on All Souls' Day. Is it obvious to those who know about these things which Mass it is?

I think it will probably be the six-part.

[french frank]

I think it will probably be the six-part.

They recorded it back in 1987 but that seems too long (57'23"?), given that there's a homily and lessons to fit in as well.

[Btw, try searching on 'Victoria' on their website - not a lot of help!]

Edited post Draco's: As you were - Hyperion disc has additional sections which aren't being sung, so Tim is probably right:

1. Matins Of The Dead: Responsory
2. The Second Lesson: Job 10: 1-2
3. The Office Of Lauds - The Canticle Of Zachary: Antiphon
4. Mass For The Dead: Introit
5. Mass For The Dead: Kyrie
6. Mass For The Dead: Gradual
7. Mass For The Dead: Offertory
8. Mass For The Dead: Sanctus
9. Mass For The Dead: Agnus Dei
10. Mass For The Dead: Communion
11. Funeral Motet
12. The Absolution: Responsory.

[DracoM]

If it is the 1605 six-part, according to the Order of Service given by the BBC, they are not singing the Kyrie, Offertory, Motectum -Versa Est in Luctum, nor the final responsory Libera me. All of which shaves off a fair amount of the running time.

[french frank]

If it is the 1605 six-part, according to the Order of Service given by the BBC, they are not singing the Kyrie, Offertory, Motectum -Versa Est in Luctum, nor the final responsory Libera me. All of which shaves off a fair amount of the running time.

Yes, I was just editing as you posted. Well, the 6-part is the 'great' one.

[DracoM]

Have emailed the Drome for clarification.

Edit from ff: Sorry - the last upgrade overwrote my recoding to stop threads being closed inadvertently. Now open again.

[Magnificat]

Well, the music's good enough! Hope the choir is up to it.

I am sure the choir will sing this service well enough but, although I don't personally object to the broadcast of a requiem Mass on All Souls' Day, this program is supposed to be Choral Evensong and as I said last year when New College did a similar broadcast I really don't see why listeners who want and are expecting to hear CE should have to listen to a requiem Mass.

It must be possible to put together a suitable Evensong for the occasion. One saving grace, though, is that we will be spared the awful liturgy for Choral Vespers which we usually get from Westminster Cathedral.

VCC

[DracoM]

So glad you're looking forward to it with such enthusiasm, VCC.

I suppose they are only just regularly in the top three choirs in UK at the moment, but we'll let that pass.
And I THINK it's the Victoria anniversary year, so maybe it's appropriate for them to be singing it.
They are one of the only RC choirs regularly on the CE slot.
This is material that they will sing liturgically - unlike a number of the pick-up choirs who get on CE.
And it is not a mixed choir, or a girl-led choir, but men and boys.
A series of sections from a Mass for the Dead would seem to be pretty appropriate, given the proximate feast day.

But I do admit, it is not Choral Evensong as we know it.