The Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bartholomew’s continues this Sunday at 11 am with a service featuring Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F Major, (“The Little Credo”), K. 192.
Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F-Major was composed in 1774,
while he was Konzertmeister at the Prince-Archbishop’s court in Salzburg. This festive mass is scored for choir, soloists, strings, trumpets and continuo. Like so many of Mozart's Missae Breves, this mass conforms to the stricture, enforced by Archbishop Colloredo of Salzburg, that liturgical music be concise. Mozart keenly remained faithful to this limitation, but provided music which brilliantly sets the Latin text with enduring music, consummate attention to structure and sublime lyricism.
In this “Credo” mass, Mozart skillfully uses the opening theme (head motive) of the Credo movement, the plainchant melody “Lucis creator,” as a basis for the entire movement, relentlessly underscoring and affirming belief. Mozart also used this "signature" theme as the head motive for the final movement of his Symphony #41 in C Major, (“The Jupiter”).
Paolo Bordignon, Assoc. Director of Music and Director of the Choristers
LOOKING BACK @ Fall 2009 (what you missed!)
Carol Sing: A Gift to the Parish and the City
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22 at 12:30 pm. Although our annual
Joyous Christmas Concert has been cancelled this season due to financial reasons, members of St. Bartholomew's Choir have offered to donate their time and expertise to lead a Carol Sing in the church on Tuesday, December 22 at 12:30 pm. The choir will sing carols settings of Rutter, Chilcott, Joubert and Mathias and will lead the audience in the hearty singing of the beloved carols of the season, all accompanied by Paolo Bordignon on our magnificent Aeolian/Skinner pipe organ. The Carol Sing will be free and all are welcome.
Join us and invite your friends in support and gratitude to our choir.
Also we invite you to partake of what is practically a free concert of music each week - the incredible arrangements by our own Bill Trafka and three choirs who perform a wide variety of music from Mozart to Bernstein every Sunday here at our landmark church.
We are especially directing our energy into the beautiful ADVENT and CHRISTMAS SERVICES this year. Please join us at some point during the holiday season where you will hear the Christmas story, sing holiday favorites with others, enjoy outstanding music sung by St. Bartholomew's Choir and Boy and Girl Choristers, accompanied by St. Bartholomew's Festival Brass--all in the candle-lit splendor of St. Bartholomew's Church.
TO SING A FREE NOONDAY CONCERT Thursday, October 15 at 12:30 pm
The Herning Boys Choir from Denmark will sing an impromptu concert at St. Bartholomew's on Thursday, October 15 at 12:30 pm, as part of their US tour. Herning Boys Choir was founded in 1949 and is one of Denmark's oldest choirs of men and boys. The choir consists of about 45 boys and young men, almost all of whom began as probationers in the choir at the age of eight or nine. The members of the choir are also taught solo singing and ear training at The Jutland School of Singing.
The Herning Boys Choir sings at all the services in the Herning Church in Jutland. The choir also gives many concerts and in recent years has toured England, Hungary, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Poland, the Baltic States, Scotland, the Faeroes and the US. The choir has worked under such conductors as Sir David Willcocks and John Hickox from England, and Miltiades Caridis from Greece.
At St. Bartholomew's, the choir will sing sacred works of Tallis, Nystedt, Noble, Britten and Parry. The choir will be conducted by Mads Bille.
The concert is free and open to the public.
Choir from King's College, London
On Thursday, September 17 at 7:30 pm, the internationally acclaimed choir from King’s College in London will sing a concert at St. Bartholomew’s Church.
One of the most renowned mixed choirs in England, the Choir of King’s College in London is much in demand for concerts in the UK and abroad. Their discography includes music of two sixteenth century composers, Alonso Lobo and Sebastian de Vivanco as well as a most recent CD of works by Philippe Rogier on the Hyperion label. The choir regularly appears on BBC Radio 3 in broadcasts of their weekly Evensong services.
At St. Bartholomew’s, the choir’s concert will include Alonso Lobo’s
Missa Simile est regnum caelorum, Bach’s motet
Singet dem Herren, as well as works of
Rogier, Byrd, Clemens non Papa and
Daniel-Lesur. The choir will be conducted by David Trendell.
Tickets at $25 with a $15 rate for students and seniors can be purchased by calling the concert office at (212) 378-0248 or order online here.
Bill also played an organ duet "The Flight of the Valkyries" with fellow organist, Mollie Nichols. at the recent Halloween Concert at Church of The Heavenly Rest here in the city. This amazing duet will be performed again (but at a quicker tempo to greet 2010) at our St. Bart's New Year's Eve concert. more here.
DO YOU LOVE TO SING? Then please consider joining St. Bart’s Singers . more here.
ABOUT OUR MUSIC: Throughout its 170-year history, music has held a place of high esteem in the life of St. Bartholomew's Church. Underscoring that commitment, the parish has brought some of the greatest names in American church music, including Leopold Stokowski, David McK. Williams and Harold Friedell to serve as Directors of Music.
The musical life of the parish today is rich and varied. Sacred music at St. Bart's reflects the diversity of our worship styles but is firmly rooted in the Anglican choral tradition with emphasis placed on excellence. A choral program for musicians of all ages and abilities, regardless of religious affiliation, is the focus of the music ministry.
St. Bartholomew's is committed to reaching out to the city using the musical resources it has. During the summer months when many churches reduce their musical offerings, our Summer Festival of Sacred Music presents great sacred choral music sung within the liturgical context for which it was written. Additionally, the Great Music Series of Concerts, one of the most extensive in the city, offers large choral works, organ recitals, orchestra concerts, chamber music and jazz in both the church and the chapel at a nominal cost.
St. Bartholomew's grand pipe organ, widely regarded as one of the finest organs in the world, is the centerpiece of the music program. Built by the Aeolian/Skinner Organ Company and containing 168 stops, its rich resources are ideal for accompanying choral music, leading hymn singing and performing the great organ literature.
DO YOU LOVE TO SING? Then please consider joining St. Bart’s Singers. more here.
Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F-Major
The Herning Boys Choir from Denmark will sing an impromptu concert at St. Bartholomew's on Thursday, October 15 at 12:30 pm, as part of their US tour. Herning Boys Choir was founded in 1949 and is one of Denmark's oldest choirs of men and boys. The choir consists of about 45 boys and young men, almost all of whom began as probationers in the choir at the age of eight or nine. The members of the choir are also taught solo singing and ear training at The Jutland School of Singing.
One of the most renowned mixed choirs in England, the Choir of King’s College in London is much in demand for concerts in the UK and abroad. Their discography includes music of two sixteenth century composers, Alonso Lobo and Sebastian de Vivanco as well as a most recent CD of works by Philippe Rogier on the Hyperion label. The choir regularly appears on BBC Radio 3 in broadcasts of their weekly Evensong services.
Bill Trafka recently returned from a trip he led in in Germany (October 6-17) guiding 12 lucky others through a tour of Bach's music. 