Worship >> Church Year >> Festival Worship 2009

Music at St John's during the Edinburgh Festival

Choral Matins - Sundays 9.30am (9 - 30 August)

Featuring music by Purcell, Mendelssohn and Haydn in their anniversary years, as well as music by Howells, Dove and Stanford.

Choral Eucharist - Sundays 10.30am (2 - 30 August)

with settings of the mass by Mendelssohn, Carver, John Bell and James Macmillan (Mass for Westminster Cathedral). John Bell and James Macmillan will be speaking about music and liturgy in the services on 23 August and 30 August respectively.

Choral Evensong - Sundays 6pm (2 - 30 August)

with contemporary music and words (9 Aug) and music ranging from Purcell, the golden age of Gibbons and Byrd, early Scottish composers David Peebles and John Angus to Stanford.

O whistle and I'll come tae ye - The Choir of St John's in concert

Music with a distinctly Scottish flavour, from the time of Mary, Queen of Scots to the present and including James MacMillan's monumental Mass and well-known Scottish folk songs

Peter Horsfall - Organ, Stephen Doughty - Director

Thursday 3 September, 7.30pm, St John’s Church, Princes Street. Tickets £8/£5 from The Hub, Castlehill www.hubtickets.co.uk, 0131 473 2000

Music lists, including the Festival services listed below, are available as PDF files from the choir website (external link)

Sunday 9 August

9.30am Matins - The Father of the Symphony 10.30am Eucharist - Strings and voices 6.00pm Evening Prayer & Opening of the Festival of Spirituality and Peace

Te Deum in C - Haydn

Insanae et vanae curae - Haydn

Haydn, who died 200 years ago this year, is celebrated in his cheery Te Deum and dramatic anthem, all accompanied by orchestra.

Missa Brevis Sancti Johannes de Deo - Haydn

Ave verum - Mozart

Haydn's anniversary celebrations are continued with his charming mass, scored for string quartet, organ and choir. It is nicknamed the Little Organ Mass for the glorious soprano and organ duet in the Benedictus.

The launch of this year's Festival, featuring a variety of musical items including Scots songs.

Sunday 16 August

9.30am Matins - Mendelssohn - a German Anglican 10.30am Eucharist - Music fyne 6.00pm Evensong - An early scottish liturgy

Te Deum

Jauchzet dem Herrn

How lovely are the messengers from St Paul

Organ sonata number IV

Despite his Jewish roots Mendelssohn composed for a variety of denominations including these canticles for the Anglican Church.

Mass for 6 Voices - Carver

Si quis diligit me - Peebles

Descendi in hortum meum - anon

Polyphonic music from the time of Mary, Queen of Scots. David Peebles was a priest at St Andrews Abbey.

Evening Canticles - Angus

Psalms in Reports - Blackhall

Blessed art thou that fearis God - Blackhall

Music from the early Scottish Reformed Church including psalms by Blackhall, who died 400 years ago this year.

Sunday 23 August

9.30am Matins - 20th Century Highlights 10.30am Eucharist - The Iona Community 6.00pm Evensong - Who e'er like Purcell could our passions move?

Collegium Regale - Howells

Seek him that maketh the seven stars - Dove

Some bold additions to the choral music repertoire including Dove's starry anthem coupled with Howells’ majestic canticles composes for King's College, Cambridge..

St Bride's Service - Bell

other hymns and songs from the Iona Community

The Iona Community have made a significant global contribution to the revitalisation of worship, and a key figure of the community, John Bell, will be preaching today.

Evening Canticles in B flat

Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei

In the 350th year since his birth, we celebrate the music of one of England's greatest composers, Henry Purcell.

Sunday 30 August

9.30am Matins - Who e'er like Purcell could our passions move? 10.30am Eucharist - James Macmillan Mass 6.00pm Evensong - The Golden Age

Te Deum in D

O God, thou art my God

We continue our celebration of Purcell's 350th year with his Te Deum, composed for St Cecilia's Day 1693, and the first to include orchestral accompaniments.

Mass for Westminster Cathedral - Macmillan

Christus Vincit - Macmillan

Alleluias - Preston

One of today's foremost composers, we perform MacMillan's large-scale Mass written for Westminster Cathedral, in the presence of the composer.

Responses - Smith

Short Service - Gibbons

Beati mundo corde - Byrd

Beautiful music from the turbulent years of the Elizabethan church, combining works for both the Latin & English rite, a dangerous practice at the time!



Worship >> Church Year >> Festival Worship 2009