Monthly Archives: March 2015

Music for Palm Sunday, 29 March 2015

Music for Palm Sunday
(Missale Romanum of 1962, 9:30 a.m.)
Antiphon at the consecration of palms: Hosanna filio David [All Choirs] Antiphons at the procession: Pueri Hebraeorum portantes, Pueri Hebraeorum vestimenta [Student Scholas] Antiphons at the entrance into the church: Gloria laus et honor; Ingrediente [All Choirs] Introit: Domine, ne longe facias (plainsong, mode viii) [St. Cecilia Student Schola] Kyrie Salve (plainsong, mode i) [All Choirs] Gradual: Tenuisti (plainsong, mode iv)
Tract: Deus, Deus meus (plainsong, mode ii) [All Choirs; trebles & basses in alternatim] Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Matthaeum (polyphonic turba settings by Richard Davy, c.1465-1507)
Credo I (plainsong, mode iv)
Offertory: Improperium (plainsong, mode viii)
Motet at the Offertory: Improperium (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, c.1525-1594)
Sanctus & Benedictus: Missa Videte manus meas (Hugh Aston, c.1485-1558)
Agnus Dei: Missa Videte manus meas (Aston)
Communion: Pater, si non potest (plainsong, mode viii) [St. Gregory Student Schola] Motet at the Communion: Miserere (George Malcolm, 1917-1997)
Motet at the Communion: O Jesu Christe (Jacquet de Berchem, c.1505-c.1580) [St. Mary’s Choir]

The St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum
The St. Mary’s Choir
The St. Cecilia Student Schola
The St. Gregory Student Schola
The St. John the Baptist Choristers

Music for Holy Week 2015

Click above for PDF.
March 29, 9:30 a.m.
PALM SUNDAY
Missa Videte manus meas (Hugh Aston)
Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Matthæum (Richard Davy)
Improperium (Palestrina)
O Jesu Christe (Jacquet de Berchem)
Miserere (George Malcolm)

April 1, 8:00 p.m.
TENEBRÆ
The complete plainsong office of Matins & Lauds for Holy Thursday
Lamentationes Jeremiæ (Lassus)
Tenebræ responsories (Victoria)
Miserere (Allegri)

April 2, 7:00 p.m.
MAUNDY THURSDAY
Missa Pange lingua (Josquin)
Domine, tu mihi lavas pedes? (Cardoso)
Ubi caritas (Duruflé)
Nos autem gloriari (Palestrina)
Ave verum corpus (Elgar)
Pange lingua (Byrd)

April 3, 3:00 p.m.
GOOD FRIDAY
Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannem (Byrd)
Crucifixus à 8 (Lotti)
Ecce lignum / Crux fidelis (Willaert)
Officium de Cruce (Compère)
Salvator mundi (Blow)

April 4, 8:00 p.m.
THE SOLEMN EASTER VIGIL
Missa pro Victoria for double choir (Victoria)
Surrexit a mortuis (Widor)
Regina cæli for double choir (Guerrero)
Dum transisset Sabbatum (Taverner)
Pascha jucundissimum (Hughes)
organ music of Widor

April 5, 9:30 a.m.
EASTER SUNDAY
Missa Pascale (La Rue)
Hæc dies (Léonin)
Christus resurgens (Byrd)
Congratulamini mihi omnes (Willaert)
organ music of Bach and Widor

The Musical Month: March 2015

14 March 2015

With the midway point of Lent just in the rearview mirror, the choirs at St. Mary's in Norwalk are busy in rehearsals, classes, and preparations!  The time between now and Holy Week, in particular, has several notable feasts that we will be marking with especial musical and liturgical solemnity.  I'm pleased to introduce "The Musical Month," a short digest to keep you, our friends and supporters of the music program, abreast of the work we endeavor, with God's grace, to perform.

 

* * *
On Thursday, March 12th, the Student Schola honored one of its co-patrons, St. Gregory, on his feast day (in the traditional calendar). The St. Gregory and St. Cecilia Student Scholas combined to sing Vespers at 5:30 p.m.Tomorrow, March 15th is Laetare Sunday, when the liturgical rigors of Lent are relaxed ever so slightly, flowers appear, and the solo organ reappears briefly. The St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum will sing John Sheppard’s festive and masterful Missa Cantate at the 9:30 Solemn Mass, coupled with organ voluntaries of Bach (An Wasserflüssen Babylon and partitas on Ach, was soll ich Sünder machen?).That same Sunday afternoon, March 15th, the St. Cecilia Society is pleased to present its second concert of the spring season. Flautist Sharon Levin and oboist Gerard Reuter join forces to bring to life some very fine repertoire by, among others, Telemann and Marcello. I had the pleasure of rehearsing with Sharon and Gerry both last week and this, and their musicianship is breathtakingly good. We’re really excited to be giving this concert, and sincerely hope that you will be able to join us! The concert is at 4:00, and a festive reception will follow. Information about the repertoire and the artists is available at stmarynorwalk.net/recitals.

Thursday, March 19th, is St. Joseph’s Day. This feast of the patron of the universal Church is a busy one at St. Mary’s. At 12:10 p.m., the students of Regina Pacis Academy will sing Mass, including English propers and the complete Latin Missa Dominator Deus (Mass XV). At 5:30 p.m., the students of the St. Cecilia and St. Gregory Scholas will once again join forces to sing Vespers for the feast. Then, at 7:00 p.m., the St. Cecilia Student Schola joins the St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum (the professional ensemble) to sing Solemn Mass. The ordinary is Padilla’s charming Missa Ego flos campi for double choir (the professionals sing choir 1, and the students choir 2), coupled with Palestrina’s motet Veritas mea and the plainsong hymn Te Joseph celebrent.

On Passion SundayMarch 22nd, the St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum sings Cristóbal de Morales’ dark and plangent Missa Aspice Domine (based on the motet “Regard, O Lord, how desolate lies the city”). On this first day of Passiontide, we will also sing Byrd’s mysterious and heartfelt piece Infelix ego, which sets the text that begins the Meditation on the Miserere which Girolamo Savonarola (!) wrote shortly before his death.

To celebrate Annunciation Day, Solemn Mass will be offered at 7:00 p.m. A number of volunteer men from the parish, and several seminarians from St. John Fisher in Stamford, will join the Schola Cantorum to sing the Missa Salve Regina by the twentieth-century French composer Jean Langlais. The St. Cecilia Student Schola will sing the propers, as well as Peter Philips’ Ave Maria and Victoria’s Ave Regina caelorum for double choir. This Mass should be especially beautiful, and, we hope, a worthy celebration in this parish church dedicated to Our Lady.

The students of Regina Pacis Academy sing the office of None approximately once a month. They will continue do so on the Thursday of Passion WeekMarch 26th, at 3:00 p.m.

On the 9:30 Solemn Mass on Palm Sunday, March 29th, many of the choirs of the parish (St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum, the St. Mary’s Choir, the Coro Hispano, the St. Cecilia Student Schola, the St. Gregory Student Schola, and the St. John the Baptist Choristers) join to sing Hosanna filio David! at Our Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The combined choirs will sing motets of Palestrina, Jachet de Berchem, and the plainsong propers. The Schola Cantorum will render the rarely-performed Missa Videte manus meas of Hugh Aston (an English composer of the early to mid-sixteenth century), polyphonic turba responses from the Eton Choirbook, and (continuing the English theme) the Miserere of George Malcolm (master of music at Westminster Cathedral in the 1950s).

Stay tuned for an update on the services of Holy Week!

Yours,
David
* * *

 

At a glance:

March 12, 5:30 p.m.: St. Gregory Day Vespers (Student Schola)

March 15, 9:30 a.m.: Laetare Sunday Solemn Mass (St. Mary's Schola Cantorum)

March 15, 4:00 p.m.: Sharon, Gerry, David concert

March 19: St. Joseph Day

    12:10p Mass (Regina Pacis Academy)

    5:30p Vespers (Student Schola)

    7:00p Mass (St. Mary's Schola Cantorum & Student Schola)

March 22, 9:30 a.m.: Passion Sunday Solemn Mass (Schola Cantorum)

March 25, 7:00 p.m.: Annunciation Day Solemn Mass (Schola Cantorum & Student Schola)

March 26, 3:00 p.m.: Sung None (Regina Pacis Academy)

March 29, 9:30 a.m.: Palm Sunday Solemn Mass (combined choirs)

Music for None of the Thursday of Passion Week, 26 March 2015

Thursday, 26 March 2015, 3:00 p.m.
Music for None of the Thursday of Passion Week
Prelude: Audi, benigne Conditor (plainsong, mode ii)
Hymn: Rerum, Deus, tenax vigor (plainsong, mode viii)
Antiphon: Numquid redditur pro bono, with Psalms 74 and 75 (plainsong, mode iv)
Marian antiphon: Ave Regina caelorum (plainsong, mode vi)

The office of None is sung by the students of Regina Pacis Academy.

Music for the Feast of the Annunciation, 25 March 2015

Wednesday, 25 March 2015, 7:00 p.m.
Music for the Feast of the Annunciation
(Missale Romanum of 1962)
Prelude: Improvisation
Missa Salve Regina (Jean Langlais, 1907-1991)
Gregorian Mass of the Annunciation: Vultum tuum
Introit: Vultum tuum (plainsong, mode ii) [Student Schola trebles] Tract: Audi filia (plainsong, mode ii) [Student Schola trebles & basses in alternatim] Offertory: Ave Maria (plainsong, mode viii) [Student Schola basses] Motet at the Offertory: Ave Maria (Peter Philips, c.1560-1628) [Student Schola] Communion: Ecce virgo concipiet (plainsong, mode i) [Student Schola trebles] Hymn at the Communion: Ave Regina cælorum for double choir (Tomás Luis de Victoria, 1548-1611) [Student Schola] Postlude: Ave Maria, Ave maris stella (Langlais)

The St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum
The St. Cecilia Student Schola

Music for Passion Sunday, 22 March 2015

Music for Passion Sunday
(Missale Romanum of 1962, 9:30 a.m.)
Missa Aspice Domine (Cristóbal de Morales, c.1500-1553)
Gregorian Mass of Passion Sunday: Judica me Deus
Motet at the Offertory: Infelix ego (prima pars) (William Byrd, 1540-1623)
Motet at the Communion: Quid igitur faciam / Ad te igitur (Infelix ego, secunda et tertia pares) (Byrd)

Music for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
(Missale Romanum of 2002, 11:30 a.m.)
Hymn at the Procession: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Rockingham)
Introit: Judica me (plainsong, mode iv)
Missa pro Dominicis Adventus & Quadragesimae (Vatican Gradual, Mass XVII)
Offertory: Confitebor tibi (plainsong, mode i)
Hymn at the Offertory: The Royal Banners Forward Go (Agincourt Hymn)
Communion: Qui mihi ministrat (plainsong, mode v)
Hymn at the Communion: Litany of the Passion (Holy Jesu, By Thy Passion) (from The Crucifixion) (John Stainer, 1840-1901)
Marian antiphon: Ave Regina caelorum (plainsong, mode vi)

Music for Solemn Mass of St. Joseph’s Day, 19 March 2015

Thursday, 19 March 2015, 7:00 p.m.
Music for the Feast of St. Joseph
(Missale Romanum of 1962)
Prelude: Prélude pour le fête du Saint Joseph (Charles Tournemire, 1870-1939)
Missa Ego flos campi for double choir (Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, c.1590-1664) [Student Schola] Gregorian Mass of St. Joseph: Justus ut palma
Introit: Justus ut palma (plainsong, mode i) [Student Schola trebles] Tract: Beatus vir (plainsong, mode viii) [Student Schola trebles & basses in alternatim] Offertory: Veritas mea (plainsong, mode ii) [Student Schola basses] Hymn at the Offertory: Veritas mea (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, c.1525-1594)
Communion: Joseph fili David (plainsong, mode vii) [Student Schola trebles] Motet at the Communion: Te Joseph celebrent (plainsong, mode i) [Student Schola] Postlude: Concerto del Sig.r Tomaso Albinoni appropriato all’Organo [in F major] (Johann Gottfried Walther, 1684-1748)

The St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum
The St. Cecilia Student Schola

Music for Vespers of St. Joseph’s Day, 19 March 2015

Thursday, 19 March 2015, 5:30 p.m.
Music for Vespers of the Feast of St. Joseph
Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite
Ibant parentes Jesu & Psalm 109 (mode i)
Cum redirent & Psalm 110 (mode ii)
Non invenientes Jesum & Psalm 111 (mode iii)
Dixit mater ejus & Psalm 112 (mode iv)
Descendit Jesus & Psalm 116 (mode viii)
Hymn: Te Joseph celebrent (plainsong, mode i)
Magnificat antiphon: Ecce fidelis servus (mode viii)
Commemoration of the Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent: Propheta magnus (plainsong, mode ii)
Marian antiphon: Ave Regina caelorum (plainsong, mode vi)

The St. Gregory Student Schola
The St. Cecilia Student Schola

Music for Mass of St. Joseph’s Day, 19 March 2015

Thursday, 19 March 2015, 12:10 p.m.
Music for the Feast of St. Joseph
(Missale Romanum of 2002)
Prelude: Prélude pour le fête du Saint Joseph (Charles Tournemire, 1870-1939)
Introit: The righteous man shall flourish (plainsong, mode i)
Missa Dominator Deus (Vatican Gradual, Mass XV)
Offertory: My fidelity and my mercy (plainsong, mode ii)
Hymn at the Offertory: Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail! (Maria Jung und Zart)
Communion: Joseph, son of David (plainsong, mode vii, with verses)
Marian antiphon: Ave Regina caelorum (plainsong, mode vi)
Postlude: Improvisation

Mass is sung approximately once per month by the students of Regina Pacis Academy.

St. Cecilia Concert Series: Sharon Levin, Gerard Reuter, David Hughes, 15 March 2015

Sharon Levin, flute
Gerard Reuter, oboe
David Hughes, piano
music of Telemann, Marcello, Quantz, Corrette, Gaubert

Sunday, 15 March 2015, 4:00 P.M.

General Admission: $15 / Students: $10

A festive reception will follow the recital.

Click here for a PDF flier.

* * *

Sharon Levin has performed in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Switzerland, Germany, Israel, and the U.S.A. She has appeared at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, NYC in 1988, 1989, (1991 at Merkin Concert Hall), 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2008 performing solos and chamber music. She has appeared on national television in Brazil, Costa Rica and Ecuador and has been interviewed and performed on New York's WQXR radio with harpist, Karen Stern. Sharon Levin has won awards from Artists International in 1988, 1989 and 1991 with harpist, Karen Stern and in 1996 as a soloist. She has performed as a concerto soloist in Brazil, Ecuador, France, Connecticut and New Jersey. Since 1988 she was the principal Flutist with the New Jersey Pops Symphony Orchestra until they dissolved in 2002.

Ms. Levin has been performing for over 30 years with harpist, Karen Stern. As the Levin/Stern Duo, they performed in Europe, South America, Central America and the U.S.A. They perform recitals, concertos, educational lecture/performances and for private special occasions.

Her Ecuadorian group, Trio Pasional, consisting of flute and two guitars recorded two CDs called "Mi Ultimo Beso" (My Last Kiss) and "Reir Llorando" (To Laugh Crying). She hopes this music will heighten the public's awareness of the need to conserve the rain forests and the cultures with which they coexist. Some of Trio Pasional's performances have been at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, CAMI Hall, NYC, The New York Flute Club Flute Fair, and recently at the International Flute Festival in Costa Rica. Other performances include The Newark Museum, (NJ), The Union County Arts Center, (NJ), First Night in Summit, (NJ), The Jefferson Auditorium, Virginia, and at various metropolitan colleges, universities, and diplomatic events. Sharon has spent several years studying Ecuadorian Mestizo Music and created a publication of this style music for Flute and Piano with the help and talent of pianist, Allison Brewster Franzetti.

She has explored Brazilian Chorinho music and spent several years studying this style as well. She performs Chorinhos with guitarist, Tiberio Nascimento.

Ms. Levin has a Master's Degree from Manhattan School of Music and prior to that she studied in Paris, France where she was awarded the "Certificat de Musique de Chambre" from the Ecole Normale de Musique. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. She has given several Master Classes in Spanish in Costa Rica and Ecuador, and has translated for Master Classes in Costa Rica for other flute Artists. In August of 2005 Ms. Levin gave a lecture/performance on Ecuadorian Mestizo Music at the National Flute Association Convention in San Diego. In 2006 she published Ecuadorian Mestizo Music for Flute and Piano. Ms. Levin performs and teaches at the International Flute Festival in Costa Rica. She was conductor of the Young Artists and Young People's Flute Choirs of the Stamford Young Artist Philharmonic from 2006 - 2010. Ms. Levin performs regularly in the north east region and teaches privately.

Sharon Levin teamed up with Westport guitarist, Gene Pino, and they created Duo Del Norte. They perform a blend of Latin American music with Classical, Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic and Great American and International Standards. They perform for recitals, ceremonies and celebrations.

* * *

"Reuter clearly held the spotlight...richly earned... with a brilliant performance." - The Washington Post

Gerard Reuter has enjoyed a varied and distinguished career as soloist, conductor and in chamber music, touring the United States, Europe, India and Africa. He is a member of the Dorian Wind Quintet and was a founding member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, An Die Musik and the Chelsea Chamber Ensemble. His many guest appearances at music festivals in the United States have included Caramoor, Marlboro, Tanglewood, LaJolla, Malibu, Tucson, Round Top, the Chamber Music Festival of the Library of Congress, Grand Tetons, Bar Harbor, and Market Square Concerts’ Summerfest;and in Europe at the Flanders and Dartington festivals, as well as the International Musicians' Seminar at Prussia Cove. As a soloist, in New York he has appeared with the Jupiter Symphony, the Soviet Emigré Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Virtuoso, Orchestra of the Bronx and in Washington, DC with the National Chamber Orchestra. He has been heard on major radio stations throughout this country and in Europe. He has recorded for Sony, New World, Summit, Telarc, Columbia, Musical Heritage Society and in concert for the Voice of America.

As a recipient of the Pro Musicis Foundation's International Award, Mr. Reuter has been presented in recitals in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Boston as well as in major cities in Europe and Asia. Mr. Reuter has served on the faculties of New York University, Mannes College and Sarah Lawrence College.

Increasingly active as a conductor, Mr. Reuter directs The Wind & Brass Ensemble of the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic. As a guest he has conducted the Jupiter Symphony, Riverside Symphony, Claremont Strings, New York Mandolin Orchestra, the St Joseph’s Choir (Danbury, CT) in performances of Handel’s Messiah and the Requiems of Duruflé and Rutter, and the Schenectady Symphony, of which Albany’s “Times-Union” reported: “The Schenectady Symphony Orchestra under Reuter were in fine form…[he] led a fine, rollicking, crisp performance.”