Music

This week

Music at St Michael’s (25/05/2025)
At Sheena’s farewell Choral Eucharist this morning, the service setting was written in 2009 by Jonathan Dove – an exuberant and celebratory piece for organ and chorus, which well expresses our feelings of thankfulness today. The anthem, The Spirit of the Lord by Edward Elgar, was chosen by Sheena for her installation in the parish in 2017, and the choir sings it again today as she takes on the new challenges God is calling her to. Choral Evensong this evening (6.30pm) will be conducted by choral scholar, Miko Lisiak, in one of his last services with us. The music he has chosen includes canticles by Herbert Murrill (1909 – 1952), and And I saw a new heaven, by Edgar Bainton (1880 – 1956), based on words from the Book of Revelation, chapter 21.

Spring into Summer Concert Series
The first of five free lunchtime concerts in five weeks is on Thursday, 5th June, at 1pm. Maria Achim (violin) and Justin Man (piano) play Elgar’s Violin Sonata, as well as pieces by César Franck and Richard Wagner. Refreshments available.

Other dates: Miko Lisiak on Friday 13th June, 1pm; Aoife Scully on Thursday, 19th June, 1pm; Nathan Yam on Monday 23rd June, 2pm; The Pennard Ensemble on Friday 2nd July, 1pm.
See nsab.org.uk/concerts for more details

Music at St Michael’s (18/05/2025)

At Choral Eucharist this morning the choir sings 3 movements from Palestrina’s Missa Brevis. Although nobody knows why he called the mass “brevis” (with all movements, it is no shorter than his other masses), it is a sublime example of renaissance choral music. During communion Ubi caritas is sung, one of four motets based on Gregorian themes, written by Maurice Duruflé in 1960. The Latin text, from an early antiphon, means “Where charity and love are, there is God”. The music – set for four voices harmonising around the original chant – encourages us to meditate on this prayer to “love each other with a sincere heart.”