St Peter’s Choir
About this week’s music
This week’s Mass is written for four voices by William Byrd (1540–1623). The anthem is Hosanna to the Son of David, by Thomas Weelkes (1576–1632).
Mass for Four Voices was one of at least three Mass settings written for secret Catholic liturgies in Protestant England, requiring small groups of singers in intimate spaces – hence a sense of sparsity and transparency in the texture even as the setting is rich in emotion and intensity. Likely these Masses – for three, four and five voices respectively – would have been used in clandestine worship in the country houses of recusant families, who would have been risking fines or worse for their defiance of royal religious proclamations. Despite a degree of royal protection, Byrd himself, along with his wife Juliana and members of their household, received a number of fines for recusancy. It was only his significant musical ability, and his willingness to also write music acceptable within Protestant ideology, which prevented him from facing more severe consequences for his adherence to illicit Catholicism.
Thomas Weekles is best remembered for his madrigals, but he spent most of his (slightly checkered – he was known to drink far too much, and was actually dismissed from and then reinstated to Chichester cathedral at one point, likely for this reason) career in church music as an organist and composer. Hosanna to the Son of David is a joyful anthem in which the voices tumble over each other like a jubilant and excited crowd, with a rhythmic drive which seems to draw us inexorably after our Lord as he enters Jerusalem.
About the St Peter’s Choir
Founded in 1847, the choir of St Peter's Eastern Hill is one of the oldest continuing Anglican church choirs in Australia.
Music plays an important part in the liturgical life of St Peter’s, with the choir singing at High Mass on Sundays as well as regular Evensongs. Our repertoire ranges from Plainsong to more recent liturgical settings, with a range of familiar and lesser-known composers. We are particularly enjoying re-discovering English Communion settings of the late 19th and early 20th century, alongside the great Mass settings of the Renaissance.
Membership is made up of volunteers, professional musicians, and a quartet of Foundation Scholars who are studying singing at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. The Church recently launched the music foundation to support this endeavour and to provide opportunities for young up-and-coming singers to develop their performance experience while contributing to our liturgy; if you would like more information about this, or to support this vital ministry, please contact the Director of Music, Christopher Watson.
Join the choir
The choir rehearses at 9 am for a 10.30 am service, with no mid-week rehearsal or other commitment. We encourage amateur singers who wish to sing regularly or occasionally to get in touch with our Director of Music, Christopher Watson, to arrange an audition.