St Peter’s Choir

About this week’s music

This week’s Mass setting is William Harris’ Communion Service in F. The anthem is the Tibrus Miraculis, by Luca Marenzio (1553 – 1599).

William Henry Harris (1833 – 1973) was an English organist, choral trainer, and composer. He grew up in church music, starting as a boy soprano before becoming a parish organist at the age of fourteen, and accepting a scholarship to the Royal College of Music at the age of sixteen. He devoted much of his career to the training of choirs; he was described as kind and jolly, but was occasionally known to  use a stage whisper to scold misbehaving choristers during liturgies.

Luca Marenzio was an Italian Renaissance composer. He worked for most of his career for several aristocratic families, but did write a small amount of sacred music; most of his output was madrigals, using a wide variety of compositional techniques depending on the perceived demands of the text. His Tribus Miraculis celebrates the first three miracles of Jesus’ life: the star which led the Magi to his cradle, the turning of water into wine, and his baptism in the Jordan.  

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.