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St Machar Cathedral

Music at the Morning Service for the month of January 2022

For the month of January, a wide range of music will be performed by the choir and organ. After welcoming the New Year and celebrating Epiphany, we move to more ordinary Sundays of the year. Two settings of effectively the same text will be contrasted on Jan 16th – one by the Italian Renaissance master Giovanni da Palestrina, and the other by Herbert Howells, the celebrated twentieth century English composer, who visited this Cathedral. Palestrina will again be sung on the following week, but this Service, marking Christan Unity week, will be introduced by a vision of the eternal Church by the twentieth century French composer Olivier Messiaen. The month will end with the Te Deum, both sung, and played as a paraphrase on the organ, by that other great twentieth century composer from France, Jean Langlais.

Though we are still very much governed by the Covid restrictions, we shall still have a Choir, though socially distanced, and slightly reduced in numbers.

Music for January 2022

1. Sunday Jan.2.

Introit: Of the Father’s Love begotten Piae Cantiones (1582)

Anthem: A New Year’s Day Carol B.Britten (1913-76)

Music before the Service: Das alte Jahre, BWV 614 J.S.Bach (1685-1750)

Music for Contemplation: Lobt Gott, BWV 609 J.S.Bach

Recessional: Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich, BWV 605 J.S.Bach

2. Jan. 9th – Epiphany

Introit: O come, ye servants of the Lord C.Tye (c.1505-72)

Anthem: Three Kings P.Cornelius (1824-74)

Music for Contemplation:

Chorale: How brightly shines the morning star P.Nicolai 1556-1608)