FROM DR. DAVID HURD: FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

One of the things which defines Solemn Mass is the intentionality of its music. Sunday Solemn Mass at Saint Mary the Virgin has a long history of being infused with rich choral and organ music in addition to hearty congregational singing. With the approach of summer, the parish choir will be on hiatus for fifteen weeks, gathering midway to sing on the Feast on the Assumption (15 August), but not resuming a regular schedule until October. During this summer break, individual members of the choir will serve as cantors at Solemn Mass to sing the requisite liturgical songs and provide vocal leadership for the assembly. This has been the basic practice at Saint Mary’s for many years. Here are a few details about this summer’s music at Sunday Solemn Mass.

The entrance of the ministers at Solemn Mass is normally supported by the singing of an Introit. The Gregorian Introits we normally hear sung by the choir consist of a scripture verse and Gloria Patri surrounded by an antiphon (a liturgical text set to music and designated for the occasion). While we at Saint Mary’s mostly hear these Introits sung to medieval chant, they are occasionally presented in the form of motets. With the post-Reformation rise of congregational hymn singing, hymns were increasingly sung as Introits as well as in more elaborate processions. During the choir’s absence this summer, the congregation will be invited to sing hymns as Introits as the ministers enter for Solemn Mass.

Many of us at Saint Mary’s have not forgotten the period of well over a year in which congregational singing was considered unsafe, and all the vocal music of the Sunday Mass was sung by a cantor. While this was an impoverishment, in other ways it gave us the opportunity to experience a wealth of unison settings—from medieval chant through compositions of our time—which we normally never would have heard at a Sunday Mass. As a result, last summer the Sunday morning settings for the Mass Ordinary alternated between those sung by the congregation and those sung by the cantor. We will repeat that practice this summer.

As our modern Eucharistic lectionaries have normalized the inclusion of psalms among the scripture citations for Mass, a variety of performance practices have arisen. The history of psalmody and psalm singing in Anglican worship is an enormous subject, but I will fast-forward to say that one ancient practice which quickly came to the forefront in recent decades is responsorial psalm singing, that is, a Refrain is repeated by the assembly at various points in the recitation of selected psalm verses by a cantor or choir. We at Saint Mary’s have sung psalms that way in recent years on Feast Days and, this year, throughout the Easter Season. This summer, we will engage in a different practice for the Gradual psalms which is more closely aligned with traditional psalm recitation at the Daily Office. The psalms will be sung by the assembly to plainsong psalm tones and will be preceded and followed by Refrains functioning in the manner of Antiphons. Also, the elaborate Gregorian Alleluias which normally precede the Gospel during the choir season, in the choir’s absence, instead will be chants in which the cantor leads the congregation in singing a triple Alleluia before and after singing a verse of scripture. Many will immediately recognize this format which is very suitable to our summer worship pattern.

Finally, after a season of singing the Nicene Creed to Calvin Hampton’s lyric modern setting, we will return for the summer to plainsong Credo III, traditionally associated with the late medieval Missa de Angelis. We sang this setting regularly from Advent through the Epiphany season of the past cycle and it will be good to solidify our grasp of it.

Cantors, as in past summers, will sing the Gregorian minor propers at the Offertory and Communion, and will offer vocal solos during the communion of the people.

It is hoped that these seasonal shifts in our Sunday morning musical performance practices for Solemn Mass will refresh us and assist us in our mission to worship God in the beauty of holiness. — David Hurd

THE PARISH PRAYER LIST

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 those struggling with depression, anxiety, or addiction; and for those living amid violence, or with drought, storm, inclement weather, flood, fire, or earthquake.

We pray for the members of the Board of Trustees of this parish and for the members of the Search Committee.

We pray for peace throughout the world, and especially for the people of Ukraine, Sudan, Ethiopia, Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Yemen, and Myanmar.

We pray for reconciliation among the churches and people of the Anglican Communion.

During this Pride month, we pray for all LGBTQI+ people. May it be a time of celebration and joy. And we also pray for a growth in understanding and respect among all people and for an end to insult, contempt, intolerance, hatred, and violence.

We pray for John and Humberto, who are gravely ill, and Stephen, Sean, Giovanna, Barbara, Theo, Steven, Carlos, Christopher, Daniel, Richard, Chuck, Alexandra, José, Theo, James, Paris, Charlotte, Chelsey, Penny, Erica, Stephen, Keith, Giovanna, Carl, Jennifer, Susan, Harka, Gigi, Julie, Carole, Suzanne, Sharon, Liduvina, Carmen, Jean, Karl, Greta, Quincy, Ava Grace, Phyllis, Jim, Bruce, Abe, Gypsy, Hardy, Randy, Margaret, and Bob; Jim, Thomas, and William, religious; and Allan, priest, and Michael, bishop.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those whose anniversary of death falls on June 18: Frances Rebecca Canning (1892); John Willoughby (1911); and Harold Hosford Bowman (1951).

A PRAYER FOR FAMILIES

As we celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, we give thanks for our fathers and we pray, “Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who settest the solitary in families: We commend to thy continual care the homes in which thy people dwell. Put far from them, we beseech thee, every root of bitterness, the desire of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness. Knit together in constant affection those who, in holy wedlock, have been made one flesh. Turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents; and so enkindle fervent charity among us all, that we may evermore be kindly affectioned one to another; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

Our regular daily liturgical schedule, Monday through Friday, is Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM, and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM. Holy Hour is offered on Wednesday at 11:00 AM and Thursday’s Mass includes anointing and prayers for healing. On Saturdays, 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, Solemn Mass is offered at 11:00 AM and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM.

Friday, June 16, 5:30–6:45 PM, The Centering Prayer Group meets in Saint Benedict’s Study.

Saturday, June 17, 12:10 PM, Monthly Requiem Mass in the Mercy Chapel.

Sunday, June 18, The Third Sunday after Pentecost. Summer schedule begins. Solemn Mass 11:00 AM as usual. A cantor will assist the congregation’s worship. The full choir returns for the Feast of the Assumption on August 15 and then again on the first Sunday in October. Adult Education will resume in the autumn. Evensong and Benediction will be offered next on the first Sunday in October.

Monday, June 19, Juneteenth. Federal Holiday Schedule. The church opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 12:00 PM. Mass is celebrated in the Lady Chapel at 10:00 AM. The parish offices are closed. Morning and Evening Prayer are not said in the church.

Commemorations during the Week of June 18, 2023 at 12:10 PM. Weekday Masses are generally celebrated in the Lady Chapel:

Thursday, June 22, Alban, First Martyr of Britain, c. 304
Saturday, June 24, The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Sunday, June 25, The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Lectionary Year A, Proper 7)

Friday, June 23, 5:30–6:45 PM, The Centering Prayer Group meets in Saint Benedict’s Study.

LIFE AT SAINT MARY’S: NEWS & NOTICES (AND REQUESTS FOR HELP)

The Guild of All Souls: A few months ago, I floated the idea of rebooting the local chapter of the Guild of All Souls here at Saint Mary’s, and I’m delighted to announce that we’re finally able to move forward on this project! I would like to invite all the members and friends of Saint Mary’s to the first monthly Requiem Mass to be celebrated here at the parish in some time. The Mass will be offered at 12:10 PM in the Mercy Chapel on Saturday, June 17, at 12:10 PM. If you are interested in hearing more about the Guild of All Souls, you are invited to join me after Mass for a light lunch during which I will speak about the Guild, its history, mission, and ministry. If you would like to join us, please let me know by sending me an e-mail by Wednesday, June 14. — Father Sammy Wood

Being Hospitable, Welcoming Our Guests . . . Hospitality is an important ministry at Saint Mary’s, since it is our privilege to welcome guests from near and far almost every Sunday morning. Coffee Hour and other receptions are an important part of that ministry, but the cost of hosting such events continues to rise. We are seeking your help. We invite the members and friends of the parish to volunteer to “host” a Coffee Hour or reception. That can be done in one of two ways: you can make a cash donation, or you can provide food and beverages for the event. If you make a cash donation, the suggested amount is $100.00. If you would like to do this, please contact the Parish Office or speak to Father Jay Smith. In order to prevent duplications, and therefore waste, if you plan to bring food for a Coffee Hour, please let us know a week ahead of time. That way we can work with Marcos Orengo, our weekend sexton, to prepare for that day’s event. We are grateful to all those who have already made donations to support this ministry.

Milestones . . . Parishioner Jennifer Stevens, one of our licensed Eucharistic ministers, recently completed a course in lay pastoral care training sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of New York's ministry of Congregational Vitality and Formation (for which Father Victor Conrado is Canon). Congratulations, Jennifer! The curriculum was created by the Community of Hope International (COHI), whose mission statement is: “Creating communities steeped in Benedictine Spirituality to serve others through compassionate listening.” The training is part of the diocesan deacon formation process, so many taking the course are postulants, but it is also open to parishioners who are not currently pursuing ordination. Jennifer writes, “My intended purpose in completing the COHI training was to help to build my skills for Eucharistic Visits for Saint Mary's, but I found that the valuable lessons and reflections have application in everyday life. My primary takeaway from the COHI training was the quiet and healing power of God's presence when we take time to be present for one another.”. . . Parishioner MaryJane Boland was elected to the Board of Directors of New York City Audubon at its June annual meeting. She has been active with them for many years as a birder, volunteer, and member of the Events Committee. Congratulations, MaryJane! New York City Audubon champions nature in the City’s five boroughs through a combination of engaging programs, innovative conservation campaigns, and hundreds of local bird outings and classes. Recent important policy wins include the nation’s strongest bird-friendly building laws and Lights Out legislation through which all public buildings in New York City turn out lights at night during spring and fall migration to prevent night-migrating birds from crashing into their buildings.

We are very grateful to all those who worked so hard last week so that we could process to Times Square on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Sunday, June 11, for the first time since 2019, in particular, the members of the altar, flower, and candle guilds; our musicians, altar servers, and ushers (we note with admiration the skillful work of the quartet of ushers that managed the canopy over the Blessed Sacrament); the extraordinarily helpful folks at the Times Square Alliance; the parish staff and clergy, especially Father Matt Jacobson, who was the celebrant on Sunday, which meant that he carried the monstrance through Times Square and did so with great skill and dignity; Brendon Hunter, who was the master of ceremonies at the Mass; Daniel Picard, who was our photographer; and, especially, all the members of the congregation who joined the procession to make a joyful expression of faith, doing so as the Body of Christ in Times Square. It was good to be back in Times Square.

Have you ever thought of serving at the altar? Things are about to quiet down just a bit here at Saint Mary’s during these summer months. Perhaps this is a good time for you to explore the possibility that you have a call to serve here as an acolyte. This is intimidating to some, but it shouldn’t be. The Guild of Acolytes is composed of friendly and helpful folks who would be glad to give you a tour of the sacristy, the smoke room, the frontal room, and even the basement sacristy. They’d be happy to explain how training works, and, most important, what the experience of being an acolyte is like. Schedule a tour today! Just speak to MaryJane Boland, Brendon Hunter, or Grace Mudd. Or come by the sacristy after Mass some Sunday for a chat. We’d be very happy to welcome you to the community of servers. — MJ & JRS

Neighbors in Need: Our biggest needs now are clothing, especially shoes (sneakers or athletic shoes and other sturdy shoes), men’s and women’s pants and tops, and coats for next winter as well as jackets, t-shirts, polo shirts, and women’s tops suitable for spring and summer. And, of course, donations help us to purchase toiletries and underwear.

This month’s Neighbors in Need distribution took place today, Friday, June 16. Next month’s distribution will take place on Friday, July 21, from 1:30 to 3:00 PM (volunteers work from 1:00 PM until 3:30 PM). Please contact us at neighbors@stmvnyc.org for more information about volunteering, making a donation, or about the goals, work, and methods of Neighbors in Need.

Donations for altar flowers. If you would like to make a donation to cover the cost of flowers to be placed on the high altar and at the shrines on an upcoming Sunday or holy day, you should know that there are many available dates coming up: Sunday, July 23, and 30; and, in August, The Transfiguration, Sunday, August 6; Tuesday, August 15, the Assumption, and these Sundays, too: August 13, 20, and 27. The suggested donation is $250. To reserve a date and make your donation for the altar flowers, please contact Chris Howatt. If you’d like to explore other dates or have questions about the flowers or the Flower Guild, please contact Brendon Hunter.

The Episcopal Relief & Development Mission Statement reads as follows: “Episcopal Relief & Development is the compassionate response of The Episcopal Church to human suffering in the world. Hearing God’s call to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being, Episcopal Relief & Development serves to bring together the generosity of Episcopalians and others with the needs of the world. Episcopal Relief & Development faithfully administers the funds that it receives from the church and raises from other sources. It provides relief in times of disaster and promotes sustainable development by identifying and addressing the root causes of suffering. Episcopal Relief & Development cherishes its partnerships within the Anglican Communion, with ecumenical bodies and with others who share a common vision for justice and peace among all people.” Through their website, it is possible to donate directly to ongoing work in Haiti, Ukraine, Türkiye, Syria, and many other important efforts.

Father Matthew Jacobson will be away from the parish on vacation from Monday, June 12, until Thursday, July 6.

Father Sammy Wood will be away from the parish, taking some days of vacation, between Wednesday, June 22, and Saturday, June 24.

Father Jay Smith will be away from the parish on a work assignment between Tuesday, June 27 and Thursday, June 29.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, JUNE 18, 2023

The organ prelude and postlude on Sunday are three of Four Spiritual Preludes by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s. Four Spiritual Preludes is a suite of pieces modeled broadly on chorale preludes of the baroque era. Each prelude presents a well-known spiritual melody in a unified texture and individual harmonic context. The first prelude of the set, Oh! What a beautiful City, was completed in February 2001 and was the last of the set to be composed. It states the spiritual melody above accompaniment in the left hand and pedal. The accompaniment patterns feature triplets and other groups of threes, representing the four sets of three gates referred to in the words of the spiritual. In the measure where the text cites twelve gates, the left hand responds by playing four triplet patterns: twelve notes for the twelve gates. This prelude may seem to have a busy urban flavor with impressions of start-and-stop traffic, and more than a few taxi horns. Go down, Moses is structured over the gradual chromatic descent of the pedal voice for the equivalent of more than two octaves. The spiritual melody is in the uppermost voice, and two additional accompanying voices converse with one another to provide a fluid if not anguished harmonization. The third prelude, Were you there, dates from 1994 and was the first of the preludes to be composed. (It will not be played this morning.) Deep River, the postlude on Sunday, finishes the set. The melody of its chorus is largely supported by augmented triads and thirds in triplet figures. In the verse, the melody is superimposed over chords in triplet patterns. This suite of preludes was inspired by and is dedicated to distinguished Washington, DC-based organist and historian, Dr. Mickey Thomas Terry.

The musical setting of the Mass on the Third Sunday after Pentecost is New Plainsong, also by David Hurd. This setting was composed in 1978 at the request of the Standing Commission on Church Music of the Episcopal Church as the revision of The Hymnal 1940 was gaining momentum. The Commission desired a setting which would be for the “Contemporary” Eucharistic texts what John Merbercke’s 1550 setting had been for the “Traditional” English words. As such, New Plainsong is chant-like and almost entirely syllabic, that is, only one note is sung per syllable. Modest keyboard accompaniment is provided but its movements may also be sung unaccompanied. New Plainsong has been subsequently published in The Hymnal 1982 and in worship resources of several other denominations. A revised edition of New Plainsong issued in 2018 also accommodates newer Roman Catholic usage. 

The cantor on Sunday morning is soprano, Emma Daniels, a member of the Choir of Saint Mary’s. During the Communion, she will sing Quia respexit from Magnificat, BWV 243, by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). Bach’s Magnificat is a major multi-movement work dating originally from early in his Leipzig period. The singing of elaborate settings of Magnificat in Latin on Christmas and major feasts of Saint Mary was common practice in Lutheran Leipzig at that time, so it is not surprising that Bach’s Magnificat in E-flat Major for five-voice chorus, soloists, and orchestra was likely first performed at the Saint Thomas Church, Leipzig, in 1723 shortly after his appointment there.  Several versions of this piece with various interpolated movements probably were performed in succeeding years, but the version which became the best known after 1733 was a twelve-movement work in D Major drawing its Latin text entirely from Luke 1:46–55. The aria Quia respexit is the third movement of the work and features the soprano soloist in dialogue with oboe d’amore. It sets the third verse of the Magnificat minus its last two words, omnes generationes (“all generations”), which Bach tone-paints by summoning the full five-voice chorus and orchestra. — DH 

About the Cantor

Emma Daniels is a conductor, composer, and soprano and is originally from Chicago. She is the Music Director of Philomusica Concert Choir and a founding member of Triad: Boston’s Choral Collective, an organization made up of singers, composers, and conductors, who share artistic responsibility and perform new music. Today, she sings, conducts, and composes with C4: the Choral Composer/Conductor Collective in New York City, the choir after which Triad was modeled. Emma’s compositions have been performed by Triad: Boston’s Choral Collective, Westminster Chapel Choir, Tufts Chamber Singers, and other college, synagogue, and church choirs from Boston to Los Angeles. As a vocalist, she has performed both solo and ensemble work in the Midwest and on the East Coast, with, among others, Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Wilton, Connecticut; Saint James Cathedral Choir of Chicago; Philadelphia Symphonic Choir; Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs; and Hans Zimmer Live US Tour. Emma holds an MM in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College and a BA in Music from Tufts University.

SAINT MARY’S SUMMER READING LIST: A FEW SUGGESTIONS & NO QUIZZES

• Saint Augustine, The Confessions (Father Matt recommends Maria Boulding’s translation, published by New City Press, 1997)

• Day, Dorothy, The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of Dorothy Day (HarperOne, 2017)

• Gioia, Luigi, Saint Benedict’s Wisdom: Monastic Spirituality and the Life of the Church (Liturgical Press, 2020)

• Lewis, C. S., Mere Christianity (HarperOne; Reissue edition, 2023)

• Olsen, Derek, Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life (Forward Movement, 2016)

• Radcliffe, Timothy, O.P., What Is the Point of Being A Christian? (Burns & Oates, 2005)

• Taylor, Barbara Brown, Leaving Church: A Memoir (HarperOne, 2012)

• Wilson, A. N., C. S. Lewis, A Biography (W. W. Norton & Company, 2002)

COMING UP

Thursday, June 29, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Morning Prayer 8:00 AM and Evening Prayer 5:00 PM in the Church. Mass 12:10 PM in the Lady Chapel. This Mass will include anointing and prayers for healing.

Tuesday, July 4, Independence Day. Federal Holiday Schedule.

AN INVITATION FROM THE CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

The Church of the Good Shepherd has invited Saint Marians to the following:

“The feast of Saint Mary Magdalen—the first to encounter the Risen Christ and then announce the Good News to the men as “the Apostle to the Apostles”—is Saturday, July 22. We will celebrate Mass at noon and then have a discussion of the ways St. Mary Magdalen and the Blessed Virgin Mary have been seen in the past as each a witness of the Resurrection and each a mother of the faithful.”

The Church of the Good Shepherd is located at 240 East 31st Street.

AT THE THEATRE AT SAINT CLEMENT’S, 423 WEST 46TH STREET

Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground. With John Rubinstein, in a new play by Richard Hellesen. Directed by Peter Ellenstein. June 13–July 30, 2023. Running Time: Approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes including one intermission. Tickets may be purchased online.

John Rubinstein, who plays Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States, in this one-man show, is well known for his work on Broadway. He originated the title role in the Broadway musical Pippin, directed by Bob Fosse, and won the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his performance in Children of a Lesser God. He composes film and TV music (“Jeremiah Johnson,” “The Candidate,” “The Dollmaker,” “China Beach,” among others), hosted two classical music radio programs, played keyboards in a rock band, and has recorded over 200 audiobooks, including Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series of Los Angeles crime novels.

Mr. Rubinstein was the subject of a profile this week in the New York Times. In addition to this new play, he discusses the joys and dangers of riding a bike in Midtown.

Dan Wackerman is the artistic director of the Peccadillo Theatre at Saint Clement’s. Kevin Kennedy is the Theatre’s managing director. Dan and Kevin often worship with us here at Saint Mary’s.

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.