St Peter’s Choir
About this week’s music
This week’s Mass setting is the Communion service in F, by Harold Darke (1888 – 1976), and the anthem is the Surrexit a Mortuis, by Charles-Marie Widor (1844 – 1937). Our Evensong canticles are by Betty Roe (b. 1930), with the Mozart Laudate Dominum, featuring Emma-Mae Ruffat as soprano soloist.
This week’s Mass setting is Orlando di Lasso’s Missa Bell’ Amfitrit Altera. The anthem is If Ye Love Me, by British composer and organist Philip Wilby.
Widor composed the Surrexit a Mortuis in 1876, when he had been provisional organist at Saint-Suplice for seven years – he stayed on to become the longest serving organist at that church before succeeding César Franck as organ professor at the Paris Conservatory. He initially wrote the music for the Surrexit as an anthem for the installation of a bishop, but then set an Easter anthem to it so as to be able to use the music again. It was initially written for two organs, situated at Saint-Suplice on either end of the building – in our version, the organ part has been reduced by Richard Hills.
If you attend Evensong tonight, you will hear canticles by English composer Betty Roe, a composer not only of church and choral music but also of music for revues and musicals who started her performing career playing the accordion to entertain her neighbours in the air-raid shelters of the London Blitz. Her love of English “light” music has infused her compositions, which are often written for groups of varied ability, and in which the natural rhythm of the text is highlighted, giving the music an intuitive feel. It’s Evensong-meets-Disney – come along and enjoy it!
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.