Music at Trinity,

May/June “Processiontide” The title of this month’s music column is borrowed from the former Rector of the church I attend when in Boston. This colorful and rather appropriate term is one that he gives to the extended season which this year began in April, and continues into May and June: Easter, Ascension, Whitsun, Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi. All these great springtime celebrations in the church’s year call for great music, and particularly for some outstanding processional hymns; after all, we Anglicans do love singing in procession! A former student of mine (of rather pronounced fundamentalist tendencies) once asked me about whether such formalities were really necessary, and whether they were really scripturally based, or were they just some sort of liturgical parade. I replied with great surprise that such a biblical student was apparently not familiar with Psalm 122: “I was glad when they said unto me, we will go into the house of the Lord”. I further mentioned that singing in procession prolongs the actual entrance into the church, slows down perceived time so that the words may be savored (something not possible with more “pop” styles of music), and that it is symbolic of bringing the praises of God to every corner of the earth. I concluded by recommending that she try it sometime, but to this day I still don’t know whether that part of my answer yielded any fruit! Whether beginning worship with a sublime procession in a reverberant cathedral, or making an entrance of both simplicity and dignity, these great feasts are highlighted by some of our finest hymns. On 29 May, the ten day period of Ascensiontide begins, which serves to focus on the Ascension of Christ, as well as to prepare for the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. Our Sunday after Ascension service on 1 June will include hymns with texts by Christopher Wordsworth and Charles Wesley, as well as Thomas Kelly’s triumphant hymn “The head that once was crowned with thorns”. This text is set to equally majestic music by the 18th-century English composer Jeremiah Clarke, better known as the composer of the famous Trumpet Voluntary in D, a piece that has accompanied countless brides on their journey down the aisle. The prelude music for this service is also noteworthy, being a movement from the Ascension Suite of the French composer Olivier Messiaen. This piece bears the title “Prayer of Christ ascending into Heaven”, and is a powerful yet understated meditation on the theme of the day. At times the music seems to actually stand still, allowing the listener to remain deep in contemplation of the mystical event of Christ departing from his friends. Such music provides a contrast with the more exuberant hymns of the day, and allows the worshipper to get “warmed up” for the service. Pentecost (also known as Whitsunday), and this year falling on 8 June is, like Easter, observed in many cultures over a period of three days to a week, each day serving to emphasize a different aspect of the day’s message. This feast day, with its central message of the descent of the Holy Ghost, serves as a fitting conclusion to the entire Easter season, and is celebrated in some of our finest hymns. Perhaps the loveliest of these, both in text and music, is “Come down, o Love Divine”. This text is by Bianco da Siena, a writer of whom almost nothing is known, and dates back to the 14th century. Bianco’s words provide a distinctly intimate and personal interpretation of the Pentecost message, in contrast to the more dramatic narration given in the bible’s book of Acts. The music is by the well-known English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who, although a life-long agnostic, composed some of the 20th century’s finest hymns and sacred music. Trinity Sunday is the culmination of our church year, which began with the Advent season all the way back in December (yes, it does seem like just a few weeks ago!). “Holy, Holy, Holy”, “Holy God, we praise Thy Name” and “Let all mortal flesh keep silence” are some of the beloved hymns for this day, and the organ repertoire provides additional focus. The prelude is one composed by Dr. T. Tertius Noble (how’s that for a good British name!), a musician who served as organist/choirmaster in England’s Ely cathedral and also at New York City’s famous St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue. Our Trinity celebration will be concluded by Bach’s mighty musical commentary on the Creed, “We all believe in one God, the Creator”, a work of enormous power and strength. Trinity Sunday occurs this year on 15 June. We invite everyone to attend worship on these most important and festive days in the church’s calendar, and to benefit from this very rich time. Steven McDonald

The service of sung Evensong is a hallmark of traditional Anglican worship, being heard in it’s most beautiful form in the choral versions offered in the cathedrals and college chapels of England. The psalms, the evening canticles Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, and well-known eventide hymns all combine to create a service of quiet contemplation, a perfect foil to the often chaotic events of daily life, and a fitting way to conclude one’s busy day.

A fine commentary on Evensong comes from the Rev. Michael Till, from 1970-1981 the Dean of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, England:

“If you are prepared to join in this turning towards God, you will find this is a Service in which you can join, though perhaps in ways that are unfamiliar. Here is a liturgical, architectural, and musical space into which, without fretting too much about the words, you may gather the preoccupations and anxieties of your own life and hold them together with a recollection of the god whose acts we celebrate. But many have found that once they have quietly offered the preoccupations which are chattering in their minds, they are free silently to go on to offer to God all that they are.”

Evensong services at Trinity Church combine hymns, congregational settings of the canticles, and organ music to give utterance to this most distinctive of Anglican liturgies, and our first Evensong will take place on Friday, 11 October, at 5:00 PM.

The music of the historic Anglican church, like the beliefs themselves, reflect the practices and traditions of a reformed catholic faith. Although the actual church was founded in 1534 by King Henry VIII, its music draws from European traditions of both pre- and post-reformation times, as well as having developed music for its own particular forms of worship. Hymns, music for choir, and works for organ form the heart of the Anglican musical identity.

At Trinity Church, congregational singing is the focus of our music, with the hymns, Mass settings, and canticles all being found in the Hymnal 1940. This book has long been acknowledged as the finest hymnal of the twentieth century, and all historical musical styles are well represented: Medieval plainchant, Reformation-era chorales and Psalm-tones, well-known Victorian hymns, and tunes from the early 1900’s are all found in this most versatile book. Numerous hymns are sung during Matins, Mass, and Evensong, as well as musical settings of the texts of the canticles and Mass Ordinary, all of which shows a high level of congregational participation in the service, something that the Reformers valued highly.

The organ music heard in the service occurs at the start (to set a mood of prayer and contemplation), the Offertory (for additional reflection following the sermon) and at the conclusion (to usher the congregation out into the world). These works are selected from the great heritage of music specifically written for the organ, and from the hands of such composers as Bach, Couperin, Mendelssohn, and many others. At Trinity, such pieces are often ones in which one of the hymn tunes used in worship can be heard as a solo melody, thus giving an additional “hearing” of the hymn in a new musical guise.

The music heard at Trinity Church illuminates the service in ways that are both gentle and reflective, as well as extrovert and proclamatory, living proof that the “beauty of holiness” can be found in a small neighborhood parish church as well as in a great cathedral.