Church of the Advent of Christ the King

The Third Sunday Series: Choral Mass Settings

 

Our Third Sunday Series features choral settings of the Ordinary of the Mass, ranging from the sixteenth to twentieth centuries. This wonderful repertoire of music—not heard nearly often enough today—was begun by Guillaume de Machaut, who composed his Messe de Nostre Dame in 1364, intended to be sung regularly in Reims Cathedral in France. This groundbreaking step ensured that the Mass would never be the same again. The genre has attracted a wide variety of composers—of many faiths and none—over the centuries, all keen to make a contribution to the repertoire. Latin Masses in England continued until 1547 and the reign of Edward VI. Then, following the Reformation, Anglican composers set the Service of Holy Communion, originally in unison—as in the Merbecke setting we sing during Lent—and later using polyphony. Latin returned under Edward’s half-sister Mary I from 1553–58 but, following her death, the Anglican Church finally came into its own under the third of Henry VIII's legitimate children, Elizabeth I, the most pragmatic of the three. However, William Byrd, who has written Anglican rite music and was a gentleman of the Chapel Royal, remained a Catholic throughout his life, as composed three settings of the Latin Mass during the 1590s which were used for recusant house masses. Ironically, these settings became some of the most famous. For some time, the composing emphasis focused on settings of the canticles heard at Morning and Evening Prayer. However, the nineteenth century saw the composition of many settings of Holy Communion with organ accompaniment, a tradition that continues to this day. It also saw the rise of the Oxford Movement—a tradition we proudly continue today at Church of the Advent of Christ the King—where Latin Mass settings were again encouraged at the Anglican Mass. The selections at our Third Sunday Series will be drawn from both Latin Masses and Anglican settings of Holy Communion, giving true musical voice to our twenty-first century calling to embrace both sides of our tradition as Anglo-Catholics.

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Paul Ellison

 

High Mass with a setting is at 11 am each month (October through May). Two extra feast days where a setting will be offered are also listed below.

The Propers of the Mass are sung in Latin to Gregorian Chant.

A Reception follows in Lathrop Hall

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Third Sunday Series Choral Masses

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Season 3: 2025–26

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January 18                        Missa Caça, Cristobál Morales

February 15                     Holy Communion Service in B-flat, Charles Villiers Stanford

March 15                          Mass for Four Voices, William Byrd

April 19                             Holy Communion Service in E Major, Harold Darke 

May 17                              Holy Communion Service in C, John Ireland

June 4 (Thursday)           Missa Papae Marcelli, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

August 15 (Saturday)     Missa Assumpta est Maria, G. P. da Palestrina​​​​

 

Schola Adventus

Jennifer Ashworth, Lauren Carley, David Alban
 

Director of Music & Organist: Dr Paul Ellison