St Matthew's Westminster
Music
Music plays an integral part in worship at St Matthew’s. The choir is a small professional ensemble which sings at the Sunday Mass and Wednesday Choral Evensong. They have recently broadcast for BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong and Radio 4 Sunday Worship. Repertoire is drawn from early plainchant to the 21st century. We are proud to commission new choral works by young artists. Recordings of the choir can be accessed on YouTube.
March Music List
Sunday 19th (Lent 4)
11.00 Solemn Mass
Missa Aeterna Christi munera (Palestrina)
Ad te levavi (Palestrina)
Wednesday 22nd
18.30 Come and Sing Evensong
(Rehearsal at 17.30)
Noble in B minor
The Lord bless you and keep you (Rutter)
Sunday 26th (Passion Sunday)
11.00 Solemn Mass
Wood in the Phrygian Mode
Like as the hart (Howells)
William Byrd
1549 - 1623
2023 is the 400th anniversary of the death of William Byrd.
Byrd is considered to be one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance and had a huge influence on composers from both this country and the continent. He was a pupil of Thomas Tallis and his first appointment was as organist of Lincoln Cathedral in 1563. In 1572 he became a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal and shared the duties of organist with Tallis. The close relationship between the two musicians had important musical consequences. In 1575 Elizabeth 1 granted them a joint monopoly for the publishing of music. The first work under their imprint was Cantiones Sacrae dedicated to the Queen. This was a collection of 34 motets, 16 by Tallis and 18 by Byrd.
His commitment to the Catholic faith, while serving a Protestant monarch, created a painful paradox, but this tension is arguably what inspired his greatest music. Throughout this year the choir will include a motet by Byrd at all major festivals as well as singing the three Mass settings and a selection of evening canticles.
The proposed schedule is as follows -
Memento, salutis auctor (Epiphany)
Senex puerum portabat (Candlemas)
Miserere mei (Lent)
Haec dies (Easter)
Alleluia! Ascendit Deus (Ascension)
Confirma hoc, Deus (Pentecost)
Laudibus in Sanctis (Trinity)
Ave verum corpus (Corpus Christi)
Justorum animae (All Saints)
Sing joyfully (Christ the King)
Rorate coeli (Advent)
This day Christ was born (Christmas)
Three part Mass (Ash Wednesday)
Four part Mass (Corpus Christi)
Five part Mass (All Saints)
Nigel Groome
Director of Music, St Matthew’s Westminster
Westminster Chamber Music Society
St Matthew’s hosts a series of Saturday evening concerts in the intimate and atmospheric surroundings of a church building which can boast magnificent acoustics. It really is ideal for chamber music. Concerts begin at 18.00 and last for one hour.
Our next concert is on 17th June and will be given by Keziah Thomas (harp).