FROM DR. DAVID HURD: FEAST DAY ORGAN RECITALS 2023-2024

The organ at Saint Mary’s, Aeolian-Skinner Opus 891, dates from 1932 with additions in 1942 and 2002. It is a legendary instrument largely due to its high rear-galley installation and the resultingly rich musical voice it has given to the dynamic worship life of Saint Mary’s. Its tonal refinement (in contrast with its strikingly unfinished appearance), and its thrilling engagement of the church’s gracious acoustics, have been brought to life by the remarkable musicians, too many to name, who have performed on it through the years in the liturgy, in recital, and on recordings. Saint Mary’s is happy to acknowledge Lawrence Trupiano who has curated this landmark instrument expertly and generously for decades.

The New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) has twice recognized its International Performers of the Year by presenting them in major recitals at Saint Mary’s. Notable concert series featuring the organ works of César Franck and Messiaen also have been played at Saint Mary’s in recent years. In addition to these occasional great musical events, short organ recitals have been offered preceding Solemn Mass on major Feast Days. Visiting artists have included many who are affiliated with New York churches and schools as well as artists from out of town. In the present 2023–2024 season, our recital series will include programs on All Saints’ Day (1 November), The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (8 December), The Eve of the Epiphany (5 January), The Presentation (2 February), The Annunciation (observed on 8 April), and Ascension (9 May).

Here is an introduction to the fine musicians who will present organs recitals on this season’s series: 

Wednesday, 1 November, All Saints’ Day – 5:30 PM
Cynthia Powell, The Stonewall Chorale & Melodia Women’s Choir, NYC 

Friday, 8 December, The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 5:30 PM
David Hurd, Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, NYC

Friday, 5 January, Eve of The Epiphany – 5:30 PM
Gregory Eaton, All Saints’ Episcopal Church & University of Texas, Austin, Texas

Friday, 2 February, The Presentation – 5:30 PM
Janet Yieh, Church of the Heavenly Rest, NYC

Monday, 8 April, The Annunciation (observed) – 5:30 PM
Daniel Ficarri, The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, NYC

Thursday, 9 May, Ascension Day – 5:30 PM
Mickey Thomas Terry, Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Cynthia Powell, Artistic Director of the Stonewall Chorale and Melodia Women’s Choir, and Organist and Choirmaster of the Welsh Congregation of New York City, will present the recital on All Saints’ Day, 1 November. She is a graduate of Westminster Choir College and has served many churches throughout the New York-New Jersey area. She is currently the accompanist and choir director of Temple Sinai in Tenafly, has served as guest faculty at Sarah Lawrence College, has led the Saint George’s Choral Society in New York City, and was a guest conductor at the International Choral Festival in Havana, Cuba. She has produced recitals, oratorios, and concerts to benefit Doctors Without Borders, the Pastors for Peace Cuba Caravan, and Water is Life, Kenya. Cynthia Powell has performed as keyboardist with composer Meredith Monk and has toured the U.S. and Europe in various works by Monk. She recently led the Stonewall Chorale in “Considering Matthew Shepard” by Craig Hella Johnson. Her program on 1 November will include works by J. S. Bach, Jean Langlais, and Olivier Messiaen. 

David Hurd, Organist and Music Director at The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, will present the recital on 8 December, The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. David Hurd is a native New Yorker and has studied locally at The Juilliard School, the High School of Music and Art, and the Manhattan School of Music. He graduated from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, and he continued graduate studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He has received doctoral degrees, honoris causa, from academic institutions in Connecticut, Illinois, California, and Tennessee. From 1976 until 2015 he served on the faculty of The General Theological Seminary and was named Professor of Church Music and Organist in 1984. He has also taught at Duke University, the Manhattan School of Music, Westminster Choir College, and Yale University. A lifelong Episcopalian, he served on the Standing Commission on Church Music from 1977 to 1986 and was a major contributor to The Hymnal 1982. Since winning first prizes both in organ performance and in improvisation at the 1977 International Congress of Organists, he has performed extensively throughout North America and Europe, and has been a featured artist at several national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists. His catalogue of published musical compositions features choral, vocal, liturgical, and organ works, and includes I Sing as I Arise Today, a collection of seventy-seven hymn settings, several of which also appear in various denominational hymnals. In 2010, he became the fifteenth recipient of The AGO’s biennial Distinguished Composer Award. He was appointed at Saint Mary’s in 2016 having previously served at Trinity Church Wall Street and Saint Paul’s Chapel, The Church of the Intercession, Saint James’ Church, All Saints Church, and the Church of the Holy Apostles. He is represented by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists. His program on 8 December will include works by Alexandre Guilmant, Paul Hindemith, and one of his own compositions. 

Gregory Eaton, Organist and Choirmaster at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas, and Lecturer in Organ and Harpsichord at the Butler School of Music, University of Texas in Austin, will present the recital on 5 January, the Eve of the Epiphany. His advanced musical studies were at the University of Redlands and the Manhattan School of Music. His principal teachers from his Redlands years include Jeffrey Richard and Leslie Spelman. At All Saints’ Church in Austin, where he has been Organist and Choirmaster since 2014, he conducts the parish’s vocal and handbell choirs. In addition, he has been director of the Damenchor of the Austin Saengerrunde for several seasons and is also a member of the Austin Recorder Quartet. He is secretary of the Board of La Follia Austin Baroque Orchestra, and president of the Board of Ensemble VIII. As a member of the American Guild of Organists, he has served as District Convenor for Central Texas, as well as Dean of the Austin Chapter. Previously in the Brooklyn, New York, Chapter, he served several terms as a member of the Executive Board, as Sub-Dean, and as Dean. Prior to Austin, Gregory was in New York from 1984 to 2014, where he began in a position serving with Larry King at Trinity Church, Wall Street. He later served as Organist and Choirmaster at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Yorkville. In addition, he was Lecturer in Church Music at The General Theological Seminary for many years, concurrent with his position as Director of Music at Saint Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn Heights. At Saint Ann’s, he founded a weekly organ concert series on the church’s historic E.M. Skinner organ, on which he played over six hundred concerts in a fifteen-year span. He was also co-founder, with David Hurd, of the Chelsea Winds recorder ensemble. His program on 5 January will be the magnificent Grand Pièce Symphonique of César Franck.

Janet Yieh, Organist and Choirmaster of the Church of the Heavenly Rest, New York City, will present the recital on 2 February, the Feast of the Presentation. An innovative concert recitalist and sacred music specialist, Janet has been lauded for her “expressivity and technical prowess” (The American Organist) and named one of “20 under 30” promising artists by The Diapason. She has performed throughout the United States and across the globe, with highlights including New York’s Alice Tully Hall, Washington’s National Cathedral and The Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral, Yale University’s Woolsey Hall, Taipei’s Aletheia University Chapel, Japan’s Momoyama St. Andrew’s University Chapel, the American Guild of Organists’ 2022 National Convention in Seattle and the Association of Anglican Musicians’ National Conference in Richmond, and broadcasts on the national radio show Pipedreams. For seven years, she served as Associate Organist at Trinity Church, Wall Street in New York City where she played weekly services, founded the Saint Paul’s Chapel Choir, accompanied the Grammy-nominated Trinity Choir and Trinity Youth Chorus, and worked closely with the music and liturgy departments. She is a co-founder of “Amplify Female Composers” and The Advent Calendar Project, and research contributor to A Great Host of Composers’ Women Composers Database. Her recital program on 2 February will include works of Théodore Dubois, Brenda Portman, Nancy Plummer Faxon, and Edward Elgar.

Daniel Ficarri, Associate Director of Music and Organist at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York City, will present the recital on 8 April when the Feast of the Annunciation will be observed. Named one of the top “20 under 30” organists by The Diapason, Daniel Ficarri is also a composer of organ, choral, and chamber music. He has made appearances in Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall under the batons of Marin Alsop, Itzhak Perlman, David Robertson, James Gaffigan, and Bernard Labadie; and he has performed in many of the country’s great concert halls and houses of worship, including Symphony Hall in Boston and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. The New York Times featured Ficarri in the “Week’s 8 Best Classical Music Moments,” and WQXR-FM presented him as part of the 2014 Bach Organ Marathon. Daniel studied the organ with Paul Jacobs at The Juilliard School, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Ficarri’s compositional output includes inaugural organ works for Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, and Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. Last season, his works received premieres at Juilliard’s Paul Recital Hall, The Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Overture Hall, and the American Guild of Organists’ Westchester Convention. Much of Daniel’s music is published by ECS Publishing Group. Daniel studied composition with Rachel Laurin. His program on 8 April will include works by J. S. Bach, Marcel Dupré, Léon Boëllmann, and his own compositions. 

Mickey Thomas Terry, Department of Music at Howard University, Washington, DC, will present the recital on 9 May, Ascension Day. Mickey Thomas Terry holds degrees from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and a Ph.D. from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. His principal organ teachers have been Clarence Watters, Charles Callahan, and Ronald Stolk (Improvisation). He was the Second Prize winner of the Ninth Annual Clarence Mader National Organ Competition (Los Angeles/Pasadena), and a finalist in both the Michigan International Organ Competition (University of Michigan Music School–Ann Arbor), and the Flint Competition (Flint, Michigan). He is a critically acclaimed concert organist who has concertized throughout the United States and the Caribbean. He has been broadcast several times on Public Radio International’s Pipedreams. Since 1997, he has been a featured recitalist and workshop presenter at several National and Regional Conventions of the American Guild of Organists in cities throughout the United States. He is considered one of the leading authorities on the music of African-American classical composers. He has published several journal articles in The Musical Quarterly (Oxford University Press), The American Organist Magazine, The Diapason, as well as the British journal Choir and Organ. He also has an article in Volume IV of Essays in American Music (Garland Publishers, 1999) as well as an essay that appears in Readings in African-American Church Music and Worship (GIA Publications, 2001). He is the editor of the currently ten-volume African-American Organ Music Anthology published by MorningStar Music Publishers (St. Louis, Missouri). He has also served on the Advisory Board for the ECS/AGO African-American Organ Music Series published by the E.C. Schirmer Music Company of Boston. His latest publication Blacks in the Arts: Music, Art, and Theater-Selective Readings which will be released shortly. He appears on the Albany Records label compact disc George Walker-A Portrait, playing the organ works of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker and on the Minnesota Public Radio compact disc Pipedreams Premieres, Volume 2, playing an organ work of Thomas H. Kerr. He has taught on the faculty of Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and serves as a Master Instructor in Howard University’s Department of Music. He serves as Organist of Fairfax Presbyterian Church, Fairfax, VA, and is the recipient of the 2022–2023 Artist Fellowship awarded by the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities. He is the recipient of the 2021–2022 Distinguished Artist Award from the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts of Howard University. His program on 9 May will feature L’Ascension by Olivier Messiaen.

I am pleased to share in presenting this series of organ recitals with five distinguished colleagues. We hope these musical offerings will heighten the celebration of these six major Feast Days of the Church in our 2023-2024 season. Please plan to partake of these offerings. Bring friends to the 5:30 PM organ recitals and stay for the 6:00 PM Solemn Masses on these holy days, which are celebrated with fine choral music. — David Hurd

PRAYING FOR CHURCH AND WORLD

We pray urgently for peace in Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Gaza.

Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all, the true love of peace and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace,
who are yourself our peace and reconciliation,
who so often said, “Peace to you,” grant us peace.
Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love.
Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace.
Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace.
May all peoples of the earth becomes as brothers and sisters.
May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all. Amen.
— Saint John XXIII

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let me bring union. Where there is error, let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith. Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy. O Master, let me not seek as much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is in giving that one receives, it is in self-forgetting that one finds, it is in pardoning that one is pardoned, it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life. — Book of Common Prayer

We pray for the sick, for those in any need or trouble, and for all those who have asked us for our prayers. We pray for those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries this week; for those who are traveling; for the unemployed and for those seeking work; for the incarcerated and for those recently released from prison; for all victims of violence, assault, and crime; for all refugees and migrants, especially those sheltering in our neighborhood; for those struggling with depression, anxiety, or addiction; for those whom we serve in our outreach programs, for our neighbors in the Times Square neighborhood, for the theater community, and for those living with drought, storm, punishing heat, flood, fire, or earthquake.

We pray for those for whom prayers have been asked: For David, Richard, Simon, Charles, Carl, Dianne, Patrick, Flannery, Liz, Charles, Tatiana, Tony, Luis, Liduvina, Mary, Eleanor, Eugene, Richard, Joe, Tristan, Mary Lou, Mary Barbara, Emily, Frank, Steven, Claudia, Emily, Ingrid, Gigi, Janet, Joyce, June, Cooki, Sharon, Jennifer, Harka, Suzanne, Don, Andrew, Bruce, Robert, Carlos, Christopher, José, Brian, Susan, Carmen, Abe, Bob, Gypsy, Hardy,  John Derek, and Margaret; for Lain, Thomas, and Keith, religious; Lind, deacon; Carl, Bob, Robby, Allan, Stephen, priests; and Michael, bishop.

We pray for the repose of the souls of Elizabeth V. Myers, and of Richard Simpson (1905); Rose Mary Goldingham (1910); Lucille Bingham (1920); Christina Reid (1931); Elliott Daingerfield (1932); Arthur Oliver (1944), whose year’s mind is on Sunday, October 22.

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE . . . Elizabeth V. Myers, the niece of organist and music director, David Hurd, died suddenly on October 13 in Summerville, South Carolina. Please keep Elizabeth, David, their family and friends, and all who mourn in your prayers.

AND WE THANK YOU

We are grateful that James Tamelcoff has recently joined the ranks of our servers (he travels from Virginia to New York City once per month!); Gary Ryan has been reading the lessons at Mass; Brendon Hunter, Grace Mudd, Dorothy Rowan, and Marie Rosseels have been serving at the altar both on Sunday morning at 9:00 AM and during the week; Adam McLean has been reading at many Masses at noon (and bringing snacks to his classmates on Wednesday night!); and Don Wright continues to serve as usher once per month at Evensong and Benediction in addition to Sunday mornings. Thank you so much for your ministry, one and all.

We are also thankful for Clark Anderson who again stepped in to play the organ and conduct the choir while Dr. Hurd was away last Sunday.

We are grateful to the anonymous donor who has been decorating Saint Joseph’s Hall with pumpkins and other autumnal decorations. 

OKTOBERFEST 2023: COME JOIN US ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28

For many years, each October, we celebrated the end of summer, the arrival of autumn, and the beginning of a new program year here at Saint Mary’s with a potluck supper, good conversation, plentiful beverages—including beer, that Oktoberfest staple—and the chance to sing some of our favorite hymns. 

Oktoberfest returns this year on Saturday, October 28, at 5:30 PM,
following Evening Prayer in the church.
All are invited.

This year we’ll try something new. Rather than a break post-dessert and a trip to the organ loft, we’ll stay in Saint Joseph’s Hall, where Dr. Hurd will lead the hymn sing. If you would like to join us—and we hope you will—please let Grace Mudd or Father Jay know so we can get a sense of how many folks will be joining us. Also, this is a potluck: so, please let us know what you would like to bring. If you could tell us whether you’re bringing a main dish, a side dish, an appetizer, or a dessert, that would be very helpful. Beverages will be provided.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

Our regular daily liturgical schedule: Monday through Friday, Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM, and Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM. Holy Hour is offered on Wednesday at 11:00 AM and Thursday’s Mass includes anointing and prayers for healing. On Saturdays, Confessions are heard at 11:00 AM, Mass is celebrated at 12:10 PM, and Evening Prayer is prayed at 5:00 PM. On the third Saturday of each month, a Requiem Mass is celebrated at 12:10 PM in the Mercy Chapel. On Sundays, A Low Mass (Rite One) is celebrated in the Lady Chapel at 9:00 AM. Solemn Mass is offered at 11:00 AM and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM. Evensong and Benediction (E&B) is normally offered on the first Sunday of every month and will be offered on November 5 and December 3.

Sunday, October 22, The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Proper 24, Mass 9:00 AM, Adult Formation 9:45, Solemn Mass 11:00 AM, Angelus & Evening Prayer 5:00 PM. The lessons at the Masses are Isaiah 45:1–7, Psalm 96:1–9, 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10, and Matthew 22:15–22. Father Sammy Wood is the preacher.

Sunday, October 22, 9:45–10:30 AM, Adult Formation Class: “Conversion, Transformation & Life in Christ.” This week: Father Jay Smith will conclude his discussion of The Confessions of Saint Augustine of Hippo. We will consider Augustine’s relationship with Ambrose, his conversion, and his baptism. What brought him to that point? Why was this conversion different than everything that had preceded it? What can his conversion teach us about our own life in Christ?

We invite you to come and join us. Come and talk about your questions, what you think, about what matters to you. And read more about formation at Saint Mary’s here.

Monday, October 23, Saint James of Jerusalem, Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr, c. 62 

Thursday, October 26, Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 899

Saturday, October 28, Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles

Sunday, October 29, The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Proper 25 (James Hannington, Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs, 1885)

Next Sunday, October 29, the Adult Formation class in Saint Joseph’s Hall, 9:45 AM to 10:40 AM, will be moderated by Father Jay Smith, who will welcome Father Pete Powell to the class for a discussion of Twelve-Step spirituality.

LIFE AT SAINT MARY’S: NEWS & NOTICES

Saturday Confessions at 11:00 AM . . . During the pandemic, the sacrament of reconciliation (i.e., sacramental or private confession) was available by appointment only. Beginning this month, we have returned to our earlier practice of the Saturday priest-on-duty making himself available to hear confessions at a set time. The confessional near the Father Brown memorial is in need of repairs so, for the time being, the priest-on-duty will be found in one of the confessionals at the back of the church, near the 46th Street entrance, at 11:00 AM on Saturdays. Once nobody is left waiting to make a confession, the priest will return to his office. The priest will stay in the confessional until at least 11:15 AM, however, if you arrive later and he is no longer there, the sexton will be able to call him. Note, as it gets closer to noon, the priest will be preparing to celebrate Mass and may ask you to wait until after the liturgy to make your confession. Therefore, we recommend arriving promptly at 11:00 AM. The rite—The Reconciliation of a Penitent—begins on page 447 in the Book of Common Prayer. If you have any questions about the sacrament or how to prepare for making a confession, please contact a member of the parish clergy. Of course, one may still make an appointment for confession, either by calling the parish office or by contacting one of the priests on staff.

A Letter from the Bishop of New York . . . Bishop Dietsche wrote to the diocese again this week about the war in Israel and Gaza. He focused in a particular way on the bombing of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. He makes some useful suggestions about how New York Episcopalians can help. You may read his letter by following this link.

Some additional links with suggestions for aid and assistance:

National Public Radio (NPR) has posted a comprehensive list of organizations that are providing aid in Israel and Gaza. You can read the list and NPR’s analysis by following this link.

• Neighbors in Need: Saint Mary’s Outreach to Our Neighborhood

• Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen and Pantry

• The Little Shop of Kindness (Pequeña Tienda de Bondad)

• Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres

• Episcopal Relief & Development

• Jewish Federations of North America

• The Diocese of Jerusalem: The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East

• Charity Navigator

Our Annual All Souls’ Day Mailing went to the Post Office this week. In your packet, you’ll find a letter from Father Sammy and a form which you can use to make your prayer requests, the names of your loved ones who have departed this life, and who will be remembered during our annual parish Requiem Masses. You may drop the form in the mail or place it in the collection basket on Sunday morning.

On Thursday, October 19, The Gotham Center for New York History hosted a book talk with Prof. Lynne B. Sagalyn, Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor Emerita of Real Estate at Columbia Business School. Prof. Sagalyn is the author of Times Square Remade: The Dynamics of Urban Change (MIT Press, October 2023). She is the author of Power at Ground Zero: Politics, Money, and the Remaking of Lower Manhattan (Oxford University Press, 2016), Times Square Roulette: Remaking the City Icon (MIT Press, 2003), and Downtown, Inc.: How America Rebuilds Cities (coauthor, MIT Press, 1989). There was much to be learned from Prof. Sagalyn about the history of our neighborhood, with a certain focus on the events of the last fifty years. A recording of the event will soon be posted on The Gotham Center’s YouTube channel. In the meantime, you might take a look there at the Center’s archived events. Prof. Sagalyn will also be discussing her book online at an event hosted by the Skyscraper Museum on Tuesday, October 24, at 6:00 PM.

Stewardship Campaign 2023–2024 . . . Stewardship packets were mailed recently. We ask you to prayerfully consider how you might give of your time, talent, and treasure to Saint Mary’s during the coming year. If you have questions about stewardship or making a financial pledge, please speak to a member of the Stewardship Committee: MaryJane Boland, Steven Heffner, Father Peter Powell, Marie Rosseels, or Father Sammy Wood.

Remaining Dates to Donate the Altar Flowers in 2023 are Sunday, October 29; and Sundays, November 12 and 19. The suggested donation is $250. We are also always happy to receive donations for flowers at Christmas. To make a donation, please contact Chris Howatt. If you’d like to check about other dates available or have questions about the flowers or the Flower Guild, please speak with Brendon Hunter.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON THE TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, OCTOBER 22, 2023

Jean Adam Guilain is the composer of the organ voluntaries on Sunday. His dates are not certain, his nationality was actually German, and his original name was Johann Adam Wilhelm Freinsberg. However, he came to Paris sometime before 1702 and probably soon became a student of Louis Marchand (1669–1732). In 1706 he published his two-volume Pièces d’orgue pour le Magnificat sur les huit tons différents de l'église (Organ pieces for the Magnificat on the eight church tones). Only the first of these two volumes is extant. It contains a suite of seven pieces for each of the first four church modes. The lost volume undoubtedly contained pieces of very similar character for tones five through eight. Guilain’s suites were intended to be played at Vespers, their movements in alternation with chanted verses of the canticle. Despite his German origin, Guilain’s organ suites are idiomatically very French. Typical of organ suites of his time, each movement is designated by a description of the character of the piece, indicating the organ stops intended to be used. The Plein Jeu features the collected Diapason stops, the Cromhorne stop plays the melody in the tenor register and in a later movement it is heard as the bottom voice of a duet, the Duo pairs two similar combinations in two-voice texture, and the Dialogue features the powerful reed stops of the organ. The first four movements of Guilain’s suite on the fourth tone are played for the prelude this morning, and the sixth movement is the postlude.

The setting of the Mass on Sunday is the Mass for four voices of William Byrd (c. 1540–1623). Byrd composed settings of the Latin Mass for three, four and five voices. The Mass for four voices dates from about 1592 and was probably the first of the three to be composed. The whole business of Latin Masses in post-Reformation England needed to be a somewhat clandestine matter to protect those involved from the possibility of arrest. This being the case, Byrd’s part books were undated and without title page or preface, nor was the printer (Thomas East) identified. Fortunately, Byrd’s settings survived the period in which their performance—if not their very existence—was illegal and they are now rightly regarded as great treasures of Western music. Although composed with the Continental Tridentine liturgy in mind, Byrd’s Mass for four voices was also influenced by the pre-Reformation Mean Mass of John Taverner (c. 1490–1545), particularly in the opening of the Sanctus. The older Taverner setting had already served as a model for settings by English masters Christopher Tye (c. 1505–c. 1573), John Sheppard (c. 1515–1558) and Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585). Byrd’s four-voice Agnus Dei ends with a particularly expressive Dona nobis pacem.

Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ, composed by Saint Mary’s music director, David Hurd, and sung as the Communion motet at the Solemn Mass on Sunday, was commissioned by the 2006 Association of Anglican Musicians Conference and the Anglican Musicians Foundation in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the Association of Anglican Musicians in Indianapolis, Indiana. In this choral setting of a hymn by the Finnish theologian Frank von Christierson (1900–1996), the text alternates between chant-based and freely-composed statements of each of its three stanzas. The melodic foundation of the chant-styled sections is drawn from the plainsong Lord’s Prayer as previously adapted by Winfred Douglas and well-known to Episcopalians for generations. Since Christierson’s text centers on the pursuit of right prayer, this musical reminder of the most foundational and seminal prayer of all Christians, which Jesus himself taught his disciples, seemed particularly apt.
— David Hurd 

COMING UP AT SAINT MARY’S

Wednesday, November 1, All Saints’ Day
Mass 12:10 PM, Organ Recital 5:30 PM, Solemn Mass 6:00 PM

Thursday, November 2, All Souls’ Day
Mass 12:10 PM, Sung Mass 6:00 PM

Sunday, November 5, Daylight Saving Time Ends

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, The Eve of Thanksgiving Day
Sung Mass 6:00 PM

Thursday, November 23, 2023, Thanksgiving Day
Said Mass 10:00 AM

Saturday, December 2, 2023, Quiet Day

Sunday, December 3, 2023, The First Sunday of Advent

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 This edition of The Angelus was written and edited by Father Jay Smith, except as noted. Father Matt Jacobson also edits the newsletter and is responsible for formatting and posting it on the parish website and distributing it via mail and e-mail, with the assistance of Christopher Howatt, parish administrator, and parish volunteer, Clint Best.