Music for First Sunday of Advent

 

With most of the choir saving their voices for this afternoon’s service of Advent Lessons & Carols, we turn this morning to two of my favourite Advent things: plainsong, and Bach.

The Mass setting for this Sunday is the traditional chant for the season of Advent, from the collection known as Kyriale – a set of chant settings for the Latin Ordinary of the Mass. In Advent the setting known as Salve or “Save” is prescribed.

During the course of the day we will hear three settings by J.S. Bach of “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” – Come now, Saviour of the Nations – one as a short postlude this morning, and two longer ones framing the Lessons & Carols service. At the offertory, we sing “Veni Emmanuel”, one of the best-known plainsong hymns, and one on which the prelude is based.

During communion the music offered is from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. This work is actually a set of six cantatas, intended to be performed over the Christmas season of 1734-35 in Leipzig. The seasonal themes of incarnation and rejoicing are present from the beginning, but the first cantata also includes Bereite dich, Sion – an alto aria that calls us to prepare, using the imagery of the coming bridegroom.  Our soloist is alto choral scholar Anna Gau.

Please join us at 4pm for the Feast of Advent Lessons & Carols, with anthems by composers old and new, words of prophecy and music of rejoicing.

Brigid Coult

Solemn Mass takes place at St. James’ Anglican Church, Vancouver at 10:30 am every Sunday.