Musical feasting during the fast

Dear Friends,

Some people love Lenten music so much that they propose we keep singing it during Easter. There is an emotional pull in the Lenten texts—introspective, contemplative, longing, hopeful, repentant, forgiving, loving—that inspires composers, singers, and active listeners in ways that festive music sometimes glosses over. But we can have both!

We have a lot of musical feasting before us in this time of fasting. I hope you’ll invite someone to join you on the journey.

On Sunday, April 6, our 45-minute service of Choral Evensong at 4:00 p.m. will feature a “verse anthem” style of canticles by late Tudor composer Orlando Gibbons. With 12 solo parts in dialogue with the full chorus, the vocal textures continually vary through these beloved texts from Luke’s Gospel. We will also sing the “standard” responses by William Smith of Durham, and a multi-sectioned unaccompanied anthem by Johannes Brahms will twist our emotions through a few verses of Psalm 51. The organ postlude will be an impressionistic piece by Sigfrid Karg-Elert, and the optional 3:30 p.m. organ recital will be performed by Michael Diorio from the Princeton area.

Two days later, we will be inspired by the legendary choir of King’s College, Cambridge. Their program of music by Lassus, Byrd, Whyte, Gibbons, Parsons, Lobo, Howells, and Weir will include a few pieces you’ve heard the Bethesda Choir sing and a luxurious choice of music in complementary genres. If you don’t have tickets yet, don’t waste time. We expect the media to be interested, and the remaining seats will fill quickly once that happens.

Holy Week begins on the following Sunday, with our “Hosanna to the Son of David” in the Garth and a palm-waving procession into the church. Through the week, the Bethesda Choir will sing music by Bruckner, Palestrina, Byrd, Monteverdi, Vaughan Williams, Shephard, Harris, Nixon, and more. On Good Friday, we will sing the Passion and the Reproaches; at the Easter Vigil, we will hear one of the oldest Christian texts (the Exsultet) and one of the most famous choruses (whose name we don’t utter during Lent!). On Easter morning, we will celebrate with brass and percussion, and we’ve expanded our overflow seating options. You can hear about some of our Holy Week music at the Adult Forum at 10:00 a.m. on the next two Sundays.

Let’s journey together,

Stuart.