The uniquely American “Kirkin’ of the Tartans” service originated at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, in...
The anthem at the Offertory, “I know that my Redeemer lives” by Sasha Johnson Manning (b. 1963), was commissioned by Sarah Bryan...
For most All Saints’ Day services, we sing the hymn “Shall we gather at the river” in a splendid and surprising arrangement by...
The Offertory Anthem, A Meditation, by English composer Francis John Dolben Pott (b. 1957), received its first hearing at St. Peter’s on the First Sunday in Lent, 2016, in the presence of the composer. Pott traces “an awakening...
Alan Hovhaness (1911–2000) was born in Somerville, Mass. His childhood interests included music composition, meditation, and mysticism. While a student at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Hovhaness first heard the traditional music...
Harold Friedell (1905-1958) was Organist and Master of the Choir at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York City. His lyrical anthem “Draw us in the Spirit’s tether” has enjoyed great popularity since its...
Much of the organ’s historic repertoire (which dates to the 1400s) was written for use in Christian liturgical worship. Organ Vespers is a prayer service in the evening that gives music written for the organ an opportunity to speak fully...
Stephen Paulus (1949–2014) was a prolific American composer who wrote in a neo-Romantic style. Four of his operas were premiered by Opera Theater of St. Louis. “The Road Home” is one of his most popular choral pieces and was...
The Gloria in excelsis sung in this service is a new composition by David Sinden (b. 1982) and is being sung for the first time today. It was written to complement his setting of the Sanctus, which was written in 2019. The Offertory Anthem was...
MUSIC NOTES This year, as we continue to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of English composer William Byrd (c. 1540–1623), the Choir offers a choral setting of the Gloria from Byrd’s masterful Mass for Four Voices...
