Sunday 6th June 2021 is designated by the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) as Music Sunday.

RSCM writes, “On Sunday 6^th June we call on churches and individuals, whether RSCM Members or not, to unite in celebrating the role of music in worship and in giving thanks to all those who minister through music.

In 2021, choirs in churches remain severely restricted, especially in England; but services can still include prayers for all musicians at this difficult time.”

Music from Organ & Quartet will include Ireland in C Communion Setting and Listen Sweet Dove by Grayston Ives.

In 2018 we sang Hymns 336 : 420 : 368. Introit: Cantate Domino, Pitoni. Setting: Missa Brevis in D, Mozart. Motet: Insanae et Vanae Curae, Haydn.

We learnt the Mozart Missa Brevis in D for Easter Sunday – today we will add its joyful ‘Gloria’.

The words of Haydn’s thrilling Anthem  – Insanae et vanae curae invadunt mentes nostras, saepe furore replent corda, privata spe, Quid prodest O mortalis conari pro mundanis, si coelos negligas, Sunt fausta tibi cuncta, si Deus est pro te.

Translate as – Insane & vain cares invade our minds, often raging fills the heart, deprived of hope. What profit, O Mortal, to strive for the worldly if you neglect the heavens. All things are favourable to you, if God is for you.

For 2017 we sang Missa Brevis ‘Laetatus Sum’ by Dr Nigel Browne; did you spot the themes from Parry’s “I was Glad”. The Motet was an 8-part Jubilate Deo by Giovanni Gabrieli, a compilation of verses from Psalms 100, 128, Tobit 7, Psalms 20, 134.

Jubilate Deo omnis terra, quia sic benedicetur homo qui timet Dominum.  Deus Israel conjungat vos et ipse sit vobiscum. Mittat vobis auxilium de sancto, et de Sion tueatur vos.  Benedicat vobis Dominus ex Sion, qui fecit caelum et terram. Jubilate Deo omnis terra.  Servite Domino in laetitia.

O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands, for thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.  May the God of Israel unite you and himself be with you.  May he send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Sion.  The Lord that made heaven and earth give thee blessing out of Sion.  O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands,  Serve the Lord with gladness.

In 2016 Music Sunday was a week early, Sun 12 June, to coincide with Her Majesty the Queen’s Official 90th Birthday Celebrations. Our music was the Introit Cantate Domino (Psalm 149:1-2) by Perugian Giuseppe Pitoni (1657-1743),  Missa Sancti Nicolai, Mass No. 6 in G major by Austrian F J Haydn (1732-1809), and the 8-part Jubilate Deo (Psalm 100) by Venetian Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612).

In 2015, on Sunday 21st June, this service came just a couple of days after the exciting visit of the brilliant young choral group VOCES8 to St Michael’s.  The Mass Setting, chosen by Alex West, was Missa “Ego flos campi” by Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla (ca. 1590 – 1664) who was a Spanish composer in what is modern Mexico.  He was born in Málaga, Spain but moved to Puebla, Mexico, in 1620 to compose music in the New World. At the time New Spain was a viceroyalty of Spain that included modern day Mexico, Guatemala and other parts of Central America, Florida and the Caribbean, and even the Phillipines. Padilla is one of the more important composers represented in the manuscripts at Puebla de Los Angeles, Mexico, which in Baroque times was a bigger religious center than Mexico City itself. He was appointed maestro de capilla of Puebla Cathedral in 1628.  We welcomed instrumentalists and several former choir members to make music together.

(St Pythag might suggest that Padilla introduced a capulco singing to Mexico, and that “Ego flos campi” from the Song of Songs means “I am a gay flower”.)

The Anthem in 2015 was Monteverdi’s rousing “Lauda Jerusalem”, a setting of the Vulgate Psalm 147 from his famous 1610 Vespers of the Blessed Virgin associated with St Mark’s, Venice.  It uses a double SAB choir to embellish the Tenors’ Plainsong cantus firmus.

Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum; lauda Deum tuum, Sion.
Quoniam confortavit seras portarum tuarum; benedixit filiis tuis in te.
Qui posuit fines tuos pacem, et adipe frumenti satiat te.
Qui emittit eloquium suum terræ: velociter currit sermo ejus.
Qui dat nivem sicut lanam; nebulam sicut cinerem spargit.
Mittit crystallum suam sicut buccellas: ante faciem frigoris ejus quis sustinebit?
Emittet verbum suum, et liquefaciet ea; flabit spiritus ejus, et fluent aquae.
Qui annuntiat verbum suum Jacob, justitias et judicia sua Israël.
Non fecit taliter omni nationi, et judicia sua non manifestavit eis.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Sion.
For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates: and hath blessed thy children within thee.
He maketh peace in thy borders: and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.
He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: and his word runneth very swiftly.
He giveth snow like wool: and scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes.
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who is able to abide his frost?
He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he bloweth with his wind, and the waters flow.
He sheweth his word unto Jacob: his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.
He hath not dealt so with any nation: neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws.