CATHEDRAL MUSIC  … a 400 year journey!

Sunday, October 24, 2010 – 4:00 PM  St. Mary of the Assumption, 132 S. High Street, Lancaster

Renaissance Period          

O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM                                    Tomas Luis de Victoria

Often referred to as the ‘golden age of a cappella singing’, the Renaissance (1450-1600) brought an awakening to the cultural world, and was next step in the evolution from the Middle Ages, which had lasted from approximately 400 A.D.  Fostering a new regard for man’s importance & individuality, there was a rebirth of the human spirit, and all the arts flourished, supported by the nobility and rich patrons.  The music of the Renaissance, clear & well-balanced, developed polyphony more fully, so as to give each part equal importance, and Spaniard, Tomas Luis de Victoria was a master of the late Renaissance.

CANON in D MAJOR    Pianist – Debbie Fox        Johann Pachelbel

Baroque Period  

SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG                        Johann Pachelbel

The term Baroque, when first used to describe the period, was not complimentary; it was believed that the arts of this time were overly-decorative, especially when compared to the purity of the Renaissance.  All this changed, and the period is now recognized as one of great artistic contributions, and a significant period in music history.  This Pachelbel work, set for double-choir, shows a technique using many variations and forms to enliven the text.

Neo-Baroque Period  

THE BEATITUDES   Adagio in G Minor                Tomasio Albinoni (Remo Giazotto)

A true mystery surrounds this work!  Originally credited to Neo-Baroque composer Albinoni, it was written largely by Giazotto, who found the charred remains of the first portion of the music in the Saxon State Library (Dresden) after it was fire-bombed by the Allies.  Since that time, most credit it to Giazotto. Regardless of the composer,  it is poignantly beautiful music, instantly recognized from being heard nearly fifty times in motion pictures and television, most notably the Australian classic, Gallipoli.

Classical Period  

AVE VERUM CORPUS                                        Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Perhaps Mozart’s most famous and popular work, Ave Verum Corpus has been set to music by many great composers, none matching the elegant simplicity of this setting.  The original manuscript contained no musical directions, save ‘sotto voce’ (soft voice), with the music itself suggesting all that is needed. Written as a gift for Anton Stoll, a friend and music director of a nearby parish, Mozart created this Eucharistic hymn of lasting beauty less than six months before his passing.

Romantic Period  

VIRGA JESSE FLORUIT                                        Anton Bruckner

Bruckner’s nine Symphonies and three Masses have been compared to ‘musical cathedrals’ because of their scale and grandeur.  However, choral experiences also influenced this prolific musical life.  From a humble beginning as a monastery choirboy, he became the most important church composer of the latter 19^th century.  His complex writing helped define contemporary, as it was full of rich harmonies, dissonances, and surprising modulations, all evident in today’s selection. 

II

Contemporary Period

KYRIE       from Mass Over a Period of Time            Jackson Berkey  

The Mass is the principal service of the Roman Catholic Church, usually five portions, called the Ordinary of the Mass. The Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy on us) is the opening portion of the Mass, and is sung in three parts, the Kyrie Eleison followed by Christe Eleison (Christ have mercy upon us) and then a repeat of the Kyrie Eleison.This Kyrie setting by Jackson Berkey is part of a Mass created over several years, one portion of which was commissioned by Lancaster Chorale.  Berkey, an internationally recognized composer and accomplished pianist, is a co-founder of the very popular group, Mannheim Steamroller.

NUNC DIMITTIS                                                Pawel Lukaszewski

Today is our first performance of music by composer, Pawel Lukaszewski, a young Polish writer focused on sacred choral music.  Born in 1968, and the son of a composer, Lukaszewski studied at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw,where he now teaches composition. His work has been performed world-wide, achieving critical acclaim and winning numerous awards.  Profound and deeply moving, Lukaszewski’s music has been compared to that of Part, Tavener and Gorecki; we have communicated with him throughout this preparation, and although this is a first reading of his music, it will not be the last!

THREE RUSSIAN ANTHEMS

   HEAVENLY LIGHT                                  Alexander Kopyloff

   BOW DOWN THINE EAR, O LORD        Anton Arensky

   HEAR MY CRY, O LORD                        Alexander Kopyloff

PERFECT LOVE                                        Patrick Hawes

BENEDICTION                                          Peter Lutkin