St Peter’s Choir
About this week’s music
This week’s Mass setting is the Cantus Missae, by Joseph Rheinberger (1839–1901). The anthem is by Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924), his setting of the opening verse of Psalm 119, the Beati Quorum Via.
Josef Rheinberger was a Bavarian composer and organist, a child prodigy whose career started as organist of his parish church at the age of seven. A lifelong Catholic, he was drawn to religious rather than secular compositions, and he believed that music should contribute to rather than be strictly subservient to the liturgy. His Cantus Missae his only mass for double choir, was written with no accompaniment, something that went against the fashion of the time. Listen out for the antiphonal exchange between the two choirs as they echo each other, but them combine into eight parts all singing at once.
C.V. Stanford was an Irish organist and composer who also started his career as an organist, although in his case it was as organist of Trinity College Cambridge whilst he was an undergraduate. He strongly valued the church and its tradition, and wrote widely for Anglican liturgical use. His setting of the opening of Psalm 119 has two soprano and two bass parts, and, like Rheinberger, plays with antiphonal passages mixed with all six parts singing in harmony.
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.