Worship >> Church Year >> Festival Worship 2008

Music at St John's during the Edinburgh Festival

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

The World is charged with the Grandeur of God

The Choir of St John's, joined by a brass ensemble, present their annual Concert, which this year has a distinctly 'earth' theme. The title is taken from Bliss's challenging cantata for choir, brass and flutes, which features along with Britten's ever-popular Rejoice in the Lamb,Walton's monumental Coronation Te Deum and perhaps a few surprises...!

Britten - Rejoice in the Lamb
Bliss - The world is charged with the grandeur of God
Eben - Cantico della Creature
Jackson - Benedicite in G

Friday 29th August, 7.30pm Tickets £8/£5
Available from the Cornerstone Bookshop on 0131 229 3776

Sunday 3 August

9.45am Matins - A New Dawn 10.30am Eucharist - O taste and see 6.00pm Evening Prayer & Opening of the Festival of Spirituality and Peace

Morning Canticles in B flat - Stanford

Beati quorum via - Stanford

A key figure in the renaissance of English Church music, Stanford's Morning, Evening and Communion Services in B flat heralded a new age using symphonic models.

O taste and see - Vaughan Williams

Here, O my Lord - Whitlock

Let all mortal flesh - Bairstow

Vaughan Williams, who died 50 years ago this year, is joined by some of his contemporaries and their music

The world is charged with the grandeur of God - Bliss

The launch of this year's Festival, which this year focuses on the wellbeing of people and the planet, includes Bliss's bold setting of a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Sunday 10 August

9.45am Matins - Music for upper voices 10.30am Eucharist - Music for upper voices 6.00pm Evensong - Where does the uttered music go?

Responses - Timothy Noon

Te Deum - John Hoyle

The Lord is my shepherd - Schubert

A showcase for St John's upper voices! Pungent harmony and driving rhythms in thr canticles give way to Schubert's sublime and timeless setting of Psalm 23

Messe Basse - Faure

Cantique de Jean Racine - Faure

Fantasia and Fugue Boëly

The serenity of Faure's music for female voices contrasts with the exhuberant Fantasy of Boëly, whose anniverary we celebrate this year

Evening Canticles - Walmisley

O be gracious (St Paul) - Mendelssohn

The opening of the 19th century revealed little in the way of musical promise in the Anglican church. Here we present a glimpse of what might have been.

Sunday 17 August

9.45am Matins - A brief impression 10.30am Eucharist - Strings and voices 6.00pm Evensong - The Golden Age

Te Deum in F - John Ireland

Jubilate in F -John Ireland

Greater Love - John Ireland

In addition to Brahms and Beethoven, Ireland was influenced by the French Impressionist school. His choral output includes the intimate anthem Greater Love.

Mass in G - Schubert

Ave verum Corpus - Mozart

Verleih uns Frieden - Mendelssohn

Schubert's Mass - fresh and youthful - was written when he was only 18, whearas Mozart's famous motet was his last composition before his untimely death.

Responses - Smith

Short Service - Gibbons

Beati mundo corde - Byrd

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

Sunday 24 August

9.45am Matins - 20th Century Highlights 10.30am Eucharist - A Perfect Species 6.00pm Evensong - Music for Double Choir

Coronation Te Deum - Walton

Seek him that maketh the seven stars - Jonathan Dove

Crown Imperial - Walton

The latter half of the 20th century has seen some bold additions to the choral repertoire, including Dove's starry anthem and Walton's monumental canticle.

Missa Papae Marcelli - Palestrina

Tu es Petrus - Palestrina

Gaudent in coelis - Victoria

Tu es Petrus - Mulet

One of the 16th century's most prolific composers, Palestrina's smooth lines in his mass and motet contrasts with Mulet's menacing organ setting of the same.

Festal Responses - Bertalot

Evening Canticles in F minor - Gray

Faire is the heaven - Harris

The feast of St Bartholomew is marked with Harris's sublime anthem, Bertalot's imaginative responses and Gray's thrilling Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, all richly scored for double choir

Sunday 31 August

9.45am Matins - The Renaissance Continues 10.30am Eucharist - I am not a religious man 6.00pm Evensong - The music of Dr Blow

Festival Te Deum - Holst

Jubilate in A - Stanford

O clap your hands - Vaughan Williams

Chorale Prelude on St Anne - Parry

In addition to being a composer, Stanford taught many of the up-and-coming figures of the age, and this service features some of the fruits of that influence.

Collegium Regale - Howells

My eyes for beauty pine - Howells

Like as the Hart - Howells

Psalm Prelude Set 2 no. 3 - Howells

Herbert Howells holds a significant position in 20th century Anglican Church music, and his service for King's College, Cambridge is one of his finest.

Let my prayer come up

Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in F

God is our hope and strength

Voluntary on the Old 100th - Purcell

Organist of Westminster Abbey, the first to be appointed Chapel Royal Composer, and teacher of Henry Purcell; we celebrate John Blow's 300th anniversary.



Worship >> Church Year >> Festival Worship 2008