FROM MARK RISINGER: A CRITICAL EDITION OF HANDEL’S SEMELE AND AN APPRECIATION FOR BIBLICAL TEXTUAL STUDIES

In the realm of historical research, scholars strive to build arguments and interpretations of evidence based on clear, accurate, and authoritative sources. Anyone who has studied the fascinating history of Biblical transmission, for instance, knows that tracing the development of an ancient book from one epoch to another and one language to another raises many questions, and we who study the Scriptures in the present day rely on the efforts of scholars who have spent many centuries assembling the sources and determining what versions are considered authoritative and which most accurately reflect the intentions of the original author or authors. When it comes to more recent writers and composers, assessing and interpreting their artistic achievement requires us to examine their poems, novels, or symphonies in their original, final, and definitive forms—to the extent that those can be determined.

With the music of George Frideric Handel, this enterprise has always been tricky, because he was a man of the theater, meaning that many of his productions evolved throughout the rehearsal process and often continued to evolve even beyond the first performances, particularly if he decided to stage a revival a few seasons down the road. The most famous example, of course, is Messiah: composed in the fall of 1741 and premiered in Dublin in 1742, the oratorio changed slightly from season to season in London until Handel’s death in 1759, as soloists came and went, different settings of certain textual passages were substituted, keys of arias had to be adjusted up or down, and so forth. Hence, establishing what constitutes the “real” version of Handel’s Messiah is no easy task.

The authorized “official” edition of Handel’s complete works is the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe (Halle Handel Edition), funded by the German government, published by Bärenreiter, and named for Halle, the town where Handel was born in 1685. In fact, the editorial office is located in the house that was his birthplace. The goal of the HHA is to present a definitive score of each work, the version that was performed in the theater on opening night. An extensive preface written by the volume editor explains the social, historical, and musical context of the work, along with a survey of the existing sources on which the edition is based. After the score itself, a highly detailed “critical report” describes Handel’s composing score or “autograph,” the conducting score that was prepared by his assistant for use in performance, and every manuscript copy that was made during the composer’s lifetime, often for the personal libraries of individual patrons and collectors. Each of these later manuscript copies must be compared in excruciating detail with Handel’s autograph and conducting score, and all the variants between sources are compiled and listed by individual movement. Any music found in the autograph score that Handel discarded before the first performance or that he added during subsequent seasons is included in an Appendix at the end. In theory, one should be able to pick up one of these critical editions of a Handel work and find the answer to any question about its genesis, performance, or reception.

My own contribution to this monumental effort has been to spend most of the last ten years preparing the HHA critical edition of Semele, an English-language opera based on a story from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Semele is mortal and beloved of Jupiter; in her jealousy, Jupiter’s wife Juno deceives Semele, persuading her to make Jupiter swear an oath to grant her any request; after he has so sworn, Semele’s request is that he come to her bedchamber in his “full glory,” believing that such an encounter will make her immortal. Juno, naturally, knows beforehand—and Semele realizes too late—that the encounter will actually kill her. The one fortunate consequence of Jupiter’s union with Semele, however, is that the god of wine, Bacchus, is snatched from the ashes of his dead mother, so the final chorus is a jubilant celebration of Bacchic love.

Handel composed the work in 1743 and performed it as a concert piece without staging, costumes, or scenery during his oratorio season in February 1744. Among the many puzzles surrounding Semele is just why he thought such a non-Biblical story was appropriate for performance during Lent, since it involves adultery, jealousy, and the worship of pagan gods. Lenten contemplation doesn’t really make an appearance at any point, though the moral of the story seems to be that one shouldn’t reach too high beyond one’s station, because the risks could prove too costly. Although Handel never staged the work himself, opera companies and orchestras around the world have discovered that it works quite well as a fully-staged opera, and the publication of my edition has happily coincided with a number of recent performances; both Wolf Trap Opera and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich staged productions earlier this summer, and the new production at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera continues through this weekend. The Munich production is slated to come to the Metropolitan Opera in the next couple of seasons, giving New Yorkers an opportunity to enjoy it in ways that Handel’s London audience did not.

Though I have been obsessed with manuscript studies since grad school, I have gained a new appreciation for the discipline, patience, and eye strain involved in this sort of painstaking editorial work. Again and again, I have thought back to the Biblical scribes and scholars throughout history, since their challenges make this project pale by comparison. It has been gratifying to receive the support of friends and colleagues in the many places I’ve traveled in this process, from London and Cambridge to Hamburg and beyond, and I am grateful to have the support of my friends at Saint Mary’s who have frequently indulged my ramblings about Handel in Adult Ed and coffee hour. Finally, I feel most fortunate at such a happy moment to be able to share my activities and passions with this church family.

Mark Risinger, a Texas native, was confirmed here at Saint Mary’s in 2008. He is a graduate of Baylor (BA, English), Rice (MA, English), and Harvard (PhD, Musicology). He has been a lecturer in music at Harvard and a lecturer in voice at Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music. Since 2005, he has been a member of the faculty at Saint Bernard’s School on the Upper East Side, where he teaches music history, critical reading, and Latin. Mark was a member of the Saint Mary’s choir between 2002 and 2022, and his bass voice was much appreciated by Saint Marians during that time. He has served the parish in many other ways as well. He was twice a member of the Board of Trustees and has served as Board Vice President. He was chair of music search committees on two different occasions and, until recently, was co-chair of the committee in search of the parish’s tenth rector. Mark has lived in New York City since 2001 but has often performed during that time as a bass soloist throughout the United States and Europe. Patrons of our resident orchestra, the New York Repertory Orchestra, will have heard him perform at several NYRO concerts. He sings with Music Kitchen on a new recording—Forgotten Voices—that is currently available on Spotify and Apple Music.

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 all victims of violence, assault, and crime; for all refugees and migrants; 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 peace throughout the world, and especially for the people of Ukraine.

We pray for those for whom prayers have been asked: For Trevor, Rachel, Steven, Richard, Aston, Charles, Joe, Mary Lou, Mary Barbara, Emily, Frank, John, Humberto, Blaise, Carl, Tristan, Ingrid, Janet, Claudia, Joyce, June, Cooki, Sharon, Bruce, Robert, Matt, Carlos, Christopher, José, Brian, Carmen, Liduvina, Brendon, Susan, Charlotte, Keith, Jennifer, Harka, Suzanne, Quincy, Gigi, Ava Grace, Phyllis, Abe, Bob, Gypsy, Hardy, and Margaret; for Lind, deacon, and Allan and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of members of the parish whose year’s mind falls on August 27: Anna P. Wallace (1891); Aline G. Tulfree (1944); Leslie Evan Roberts (1961).

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. Evensong and Benediction will be offered next on the first Sunday in October.

Friday, August 25, 5:30–6:45 PM, The Centering Prayer Group meets in Saint Benedict’s Study.

Sunday, August 27, 9:30–10:30 AM, The Centering Prayer Group meets in the Livestream Control Room, which is located just outside the Sacristy.

Sunday, August 27, The Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost, Year A, Proper 16 (Henry Winter Syle, 1890, and Thomas Gallaudet, 1902, Priests). Solemn Mass 11:00 AM. The readings are Isaiah 51:1–6; Psalm 138; Romans 11:33–36; Matthew 16:13–20. Father Powell is the preacher. The cantor is Emma Daniels. The Mass setting is Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena by Healey Willan (1880–1968).

Monday, August 28, Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 430

Tuesday, August 29, The Beheading of John the Baptist

Thursday, August 31, Aidan of Lindisfarne, 651

Friday, September 1, 5:30–6:45 PM, The Centering Prayer Group meets in Saint Benedict’s Study.

Saturday, September 2, The Martyrs of New Guinea, 1942

Sunday, September 3, 9:30–10:30 AM, The Centering Prayer Group meets in the Livestream Control Room, which is located just outside the Sacristy.

Sunday, September 3, The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Proper 17 (Phoebe, Deacon)

Monday, September 4, Labor Day, Mass in the Lady Chapel at 10:00 AM. The church opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 12:00 PM. Morning and Evening Prayer are not said in the church. The parish offices are closed.

LIFE AT SAINT MARY’S: NEWS & NOTICES

A Novena in Anticipation of Holy Cross Day . . . We invite all members and friends of the parish to join us in praying a novena as a way of preparing for Holy Cross Day, between Wednesday, September 6, and Thursday, September 14, the day of the feast. The texts to be used for praying the novena will be available on the ushers’ table and online beginning on Sunday, September 3.

Performance art . . . This evening, August 25, Offerings will be featured at Saint Mary’s and includes performance artists Kris Lee, Cherrie Yu, and Malcolmx Betts. Click here to learn more about the event and to keep up with the Arts at Saint Mary’s on this new page of our website.

Keeping up to date with pledge payments: It is not uncommon for us to experience cash-flow problems during the summer months, we urge all our members and friends to stay current with their pledge payments, and we welcome donations in support of the parish’s mission during this time. If you have questions, please contact the parish treasurer, Steven Heffner. We are grateful to all those who continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously.

The Anti-Racism Group Meeting: The Group meets online on most Tuesday evenings from 7:00–8:00 PM. For more information about this ongoing weekly meeting, please call the parish office, or speak to one of the current members of the group, such as Charles Carson, Charles Morgan, Marie Rosseels, or Ingrid Sletten.

On Monday, August 28, we will commemorate Saint Augustine of Hippo, one of the greatest saints and theologians of the church in the West. We will be talking about his most famous work, his Confessions, when adult education resumes in mid-September. There is a beautiful and instructive work of art at the Metropolitan Museum—Scenes from the Life of Saint Augustine—that was painted around 1490 by a Netherlandish artist. The painting may be viewed in Gallery 305 at the Met, but you can view it and read about it by following this link.

Looking for Daily Prayer Resources? Take a look at Saint Bede’s Breviary online. Designed by Dr. Derek Olsen, who will be leading a parish retreat for us in January 2024, this mobile app is rich in options and using it is a great way to get in the habit of praying the Daily Office.

At the Cathedral . . . On Sunday, September 24, at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, the inaugural cohort of the Community at the Crossing will be received and vested at the 10:30 AM Mass. This ecumenical group of young adults will spend a year together in an intentional religious community on the cathedral grounds. Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew have all expressed their support for this important initiative by our diocese. The Archbishop of Canterbury will be the preacher at the liturgy, and all are invited. Please RSVP here by September 8. A good friend of our parish, Sister Monica Clare, CSJB, recently recorded a video that talks a bit about the Community at the Crossing. Father Matt serves on an advisory board for the program and will be attending on behalf of the parish clergy. He would be happy to answer any questions that you may have about this initiative.

The Saint Mary’s Book Club. . . The first book of the new season is Barbara Brown Taylor’s “Leaving Church.” Taylor is an Episcopal priest, author, and acclaimed preacher who has written movingly about her hopes, her struggles, and her not-always-easy journey in faith. From the book’s back cover, “Taylor describes a rich spiritual journey in which God has given her more questions than answers. As she becomes part of the flock instead of the shepherd, she describes her poignant and sincere struggle to regain her footing in the world without her defining collar. Taylor’s realization that this may in fact be God’s surprising path for her leads her to a refreshing search to find Him in new places. Leaving Church will remind even the most skeptical among us that life is about both disappointment and hope—and ultimately, renewal.” The book is available in paperback and hard cover in the usual places. Discussion of the book was planned for Sunday, September 24. However, the second listening session on the search for a new rector is to take place that day. New date and time will be announced shortly. In the meantime, we invite you to start reading! — JRS

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, there are many available dates coming up: September 24, October 22 and 29 and many Sundays in November. 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.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, AUGUST 27, 2023

Sunday’s organ voluntaries are by the American composer Gerald Near (b. 1942). A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Gerald Near has distinguished himself particularly as a composer of organ and choral music. His composition teachers have included Leo Sowerby, Leslie Bassett, and Dominick Argento. He has served as Canon Precentor of Saint Matthew’s Cathedral, Dallas, and as Composer in Residence at Saint John’s Cathedral, Denver, and has received many prestigious commissions for works which have been performed internationally. His choral music includes many anthems and settings for Office and Eucharist. He is represented in The Hymnal 1982 by two hymn settings and five additional pieces of service music. His Suite for Organ is dedicated to Marilyn Mason, long-time chair of the organ department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and was published in 1966. Its second-of-three movements, played for the prelude on Sunday, is entitled Sarabande. It is a meditation on the nineteenth-century American hymn tune Land of Rest, sung as the post-Communion hymn this coming Sunday. The Suite’s third movement, Final, will be the postlude. It begins and ends with virtually identical sections which flank a middle section of episodic development.

The name of Healey Willan (1880–1968) is well known to Episcopalians because of his Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena, composed in 1928, which appeared in The Hymnal 1940 and was retained in The Hymnal 1982. This setting, which we will sing on Sunday morning, has been sung widely throughout the Episcopal Church, as well as in other denominations, for decades. Willan’s career and reputation, however, went far beyond composing this beloved Mass. He composed more than eight hundred works including operas, symphonies and other music for orchestra and band, chamber music, and music for piano and organ, in addition to a great quantity of choral music. His liturgical music includes fourteen choral Masses, occasional motets, canticles, and hymn settings. Willan was born in England and began his career as an organist in London parish churches. He joined the faculty at Toronto University in 1914, later becoming Professor of Music there. In 1921 he was named organist at Toronto’s Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, a position he retained until his death. Said to have described himself as “English by birth; Canadian by adoption; Irish by extraction; Scotch by absorption,” Willan was a champion of historic liturgical chant and the aesthetic of Renaissance church music. He incorporated these influences and mingled them with an appreciation of the rich harmonic palette of the late nineteenth-century masters. Through his compositions and choral direction, he significantly set the standard for North American Anglo-Catholic church music in his time. In 1956, Willan became the first non-English church musician to be awarded the Lambeth Doctorate, Mus.D. Cantuar.

During Communion at the Solemn Mass on Sunday, soprano Emma Daniels will sing Panis angelicus by César Franck (1822–1890). Born in Belgium, Franck entered the Paris Conservatory at age fifteen. From 1844 he held various titles at Parisian churches and, in 1858, he moved to Sainte Clotilde to preside at the Cavaille-Coll organ in that newly built neo-gothic church. Franck is widely considered the founder of the French symphonic organ school. The text of Panis angelicus, credited to Saint Thomas Aquinas, is the sixth stanza of the hymn at Matins for the feast of Corpus Christi, Sacris solemnis. While the text of this hymn is not part of the traditional Ordinary of the Mass, Franck situated his lyric musical setting of it between the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei of his 1865 Messe Solennelle, Opus 12. The Mass is scored for soprano, tenor, bass, harp, cello, double bass, and organ. Panis angelicus, originally scored for cello, harp, voice, and organ, is the standout movement of the entire Mass. It is certainly one of Franck’s most well-known pieces, having been arranged extensively for choirs of various compositions and also for wordless performances by instruments alone. In the original form, the lyric opening melody of the piece famously returns later with the voice part being echoed in canon by the cello.

More about Sunday’s cantor: Emma Daniels is a conductor, composer, and soprano 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 NYC, 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, including with Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Wilton, CT, 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. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

 A Listening Session
Sunday, September 24, 2023, 12:45 PM

Please join us to pray, to share, to listen, and to consider the
movement of the Spirit here at Saint Mary’s both now and in the future.

COMING UP AT SAINT MARY’S

Friday, September 8, The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Thursday, September 14, Holy Cross Day

Thursday, September 21, Saint Matthew the Apostle

Friday, September 29, Saint Michael & All Angels

Sunday, October 1, Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost,
Beginning of Program Year 2023–2024 & Return of the Choir of 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.