Trying a new format with Diary first and commentary afterwards.
Sun 2nd Oct, 10.45am, Dedication Sunday, Sung Mass. Rheinberger, Bruckner.
Sun 2nd Oct, 3.40pm, ExeVox Chamber Choir, Mini-Concert + Refreshments.
Sun 2nd Oct, 6pm, Choral Evensong & Benediction. Clucas, Dyson, Harris.
Thu 6th Oct, 6pm, CBS Plainsong Mass. St Bruno, Founder of Carthusian Order.
Sat 8th Oct, 4pm, at Exeter Cathedral. Orchestral Evensong! Brahms, Stanford, Parry.
Sun 9th Oct, 10.45am, Trinity XX, Sung Mass. Palestrina, Fauré.
Fri 14th Oct, 7.30pm, Concert with St David’s Neighbourhood Partnership ARTSfest.
Cancelled – Sat 15th Oct, 7.30pm, Tudor Dance Group – Cancelled.
Sun 16th Oct, 10.45am, Harvest, Sung Mass. Ireland, Loosemore.
Sun 23rd Oct, 10.45am, Trinity XXII, Sung Mass. Byrd 5, Farrant.
Wed 26th Oct, 7.30pm, St Michael’s Lecture. Deliverance – Fr John Underhill.
Sun 30th Oct. 10.45am, All Saints’ Sunday. Victoria, Harris.
Wed 2nd Nov, 7.30pm, Sung Requiem Mass. Victoria, Stanford.
Our other Regular Services:-
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6pm Plainsong Vespers & Meditation.
Wednesdays, 9.30am Morning Prayer, 10am Low Mass.
Tuesdays, 7-8.30pm Choir Practice.

Please see other Website links & Twitter posts for full Music List & Service details.

Concerts & Lecture
Please support the ExeVox Concert on Sun 2nd Oct, directed by Peter Adcock. They will give a half-hour mini-Concert at St Michael’s, followed by Refreshments. It’s one of three mini-concerts of classical and lighter pieces in an afternoon of music-making in aid of Hospiscare; starting at 2.00pm in St Stephen’s Church on the High Street, continuing at 2.45pm in St Pancras’ Church in the Guildhall Centre and coming to St Michael’s for 3.40pm. Each is free, with voluntary collections for Hospiscare. You may like to stay or return to St Michael’s for our monthly Evensong at 6pm.

Sat 8th Oct at Exeter Cathedral at 4pm sees a rather special Evensong with Exeter Symphony Orchestra and the Cathedral & University Chapel Choirs combining to offer the original orchestral versions of Brahms Psalm 84 “How lovely are thy dwellings”, the Canticles in A by Stanford, and the Anthem “I was glad” by Parry.

Please also support a joint Concert with St David’s Neighbourhood Partnership at 7.30pm on Fri 14th Oct featuring internationally known local flautist, Candice Hamel, with Mariko Asakawa-North, piano, and St Michael’s Choir.
Unfortunately, the Tudor Dance Display on Sat 15th Oct has been CANCELLED owing to circumstances beyond “ARTSfest”‘s control.

On Wed 28th Oct St Michael’s Lectures welcome back to Exeter Fr John Underhill, now a curate in Eastbourne, to talk on the subject of Deliverance Ministry & Exorcism.

Choir Music
On 2nd Oct, Dedication Sunday, we have a romantic 19th century Mass setting by Rheinberger (1839-1901). The Motet “Locus Iste” by Bruckner (1824-96) translates – This place was made by God, a priceless (inaestimabile) mystery; it is without reproof (irreprehensibilis).

Our Evensong music is mainly “mellow” for Autumn, Dyson in F Mag & Nunc, and Elgar & Fauré Benediction Hymns, and Harris’s Anthem “Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men” is suited to the Sunday & the Service.

Missa Lauda Sion is a lesser known Palestrina Mass now in our repertoire, and the French dramatist Jean Racine (1639-99) provides the words for the much loved “Cantique” by Fauré (1845-1924) on 9th Oct. This beautiful Hymn to Christ translates thus:-
O Word, equal to the Most High, Our sole hope, eternal day of the earth and heavens,
We break the silence of the peaceful night. Divine Saviour, cast Thine eyes upon us!
Shed the fire of Thy mighty grace upon us. Let all Hell flee at the sound of Thy voice.
Dispel the slumber of a languishing soul That leads it to forget Thy laws!
O Christ, be favourable to your faithful people Now gathered to bless Thee.
Receive the hymns we offer to Thine immortal glory, And may we return laden with Thy gifts.

Harvest is celebrated on Sun 16th Oct – we are asked to collect non-consumable items (shower gel, toothpaste/brush, washing-up liquid etc.) throughout October, rather than ‘food’ at this time, to be sent to the Exeter FoodBank. The Mass setting is new to us, John Ireland (1879-1962) in C, and the Motet is ”O Lord increase our Faith” with music by Henry Loosemore (1600-70) .

Trinity XXII sees us back in the 16th century with William Byrd’s Mass for 5 voices (SATTB) written around 1594, and “Lord for Thy tender mercies sake” by Richard Farrant (c.1525-80)

October ends with All Saints’ Sunday, singing Tomas Luis de Victoria’s Missa “O quam gloriosum”, published in 1583, and Sir William Harris’s “Holy is the True Light” from 1947.

Please note for your Diaries:- All Souls’ Day Requiem, Wed 2nd Nov at 7.30pm, with the Missa Pro Defunctis a 4, also by Victoria, and Motet “Justorum Animae” by Stanford.

Richard Barnes