Dear friends: we had a lovely and well - attended concert of the Couperin Messe pour les convents yesterday. Our Schola Cantorum sang beautifully! Here are some photos and the program fyi.
I would love to have been there. I'm sure that it was exquisitely done. As it was, I was practicing for my own recital on Christ the King Sunday. I remember doing the Gloria from this mass in recital on your marvelous Ross King organ in alternatim with you and your seminarian schola a few years ago. The program highlighted the Triniry, in honour of Holy Trinity Semiinary's namesake and patron. Have you played your theorbo recently?
I've often wondered just how long an alternatim mass took, and how all the organ versets fitted into the ritual text, or held up the ritual action. Just the Gloria itself takes about thirteen to fifteen or more minutes, the Sanctuas about five or six or more minutes, etc.
Ha! Jackson, My theorbo was stolen form my apt. in the move to my new house! It was devastating. However I did get some insurance and I have commissioned a new one to be built in Italy, however it will take a year!
What are you doing on your recital? Some Titelouze, I would think? Yes, I remember you playing the Couperin, but I think it was the other Mass, the Parish one.
Well, I was there and it was beautifully done. The schola did sing beautifully and Dr. Hamilton's playing of the Couperin was excellent. I especially appreciated his nuanced use of notes inégales.
Unfortunately, I arrived just a bit late - during the Kyrie fugue. (A major crosstown thoroughfare was completely shut down due to a car accident, so I had to backtrack and take a lengthy detour.)
Thank you, Dr. Hamilton, for taking us one step closer to understanding the context of Couperin's organ mass. It was an excellent remembrance of Dr. Marilyn Mason.
Can we expect more of this type of concert in future - with Frescobaldi, perhaps?
No, it was Gloria from the convent's mass in my recital at Holy Trinity.
No Titelouze on this programe, Greg. It is all renaissance and baroque, though.
Since you ask, here is the program, at Walsingham - 1. Prealudium in F - - - Tunder 2. Two versets on Her Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn - - - Scheidemann 3. Toccata on the XI Tone - - - G Gabrieli 4. Kyrie from missa delli apostoli - - - Frescobaldi* 5. Fantasia chromatica - - - Sweelinck 6. Magnificat on IInd Tone - - - Guilain* 7. Voluntary for Ye Double Organ - - - Purcell 8. Partita on Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ - - - Bohm 9. Fantasie in G-Major (Piece d'orgue) - - - Bach
*The Frescobaldi and Guilain with alternatim chant by some gentlemen of the cathedral choir - who will also sing the appropriate chorale before the Scheideman and Bohm.
Dear DB, thanks for attending! I am glad you enjoyed it. I thought the star of the show was the organ, and I was impressed how this American insrument sounded so well for this French Repertoire.
MJO, that looks like a great program, I would love to hear especially the Guliain, a too neglected composer.
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