Sunday, March 17 – The Second Sunday in Lent

A nationally recognized composer of church music, conductor Stephen Sturk is executive director of the Pacific Academy of Ecclesiastical Music and composer-in-residence at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in San Diego. At the Offertory, the Chorale sings his elegant setting of Psalm 27:1-9, the Psalm appointed for today, “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation.” The other two anthems come to us from the rich repertoire of the Tudor period. The years which span from 1500–1625 was especially marked by the religious upheaval of the English reformation. With competing demands over the language of Church of England liturgy, composers of this era variously set both Latin and English texts to music. Both the Introit “Hide Not Thy Face” by Richard Farrant (also from Psalm 27) and the communion anthem (11am), “Almighty and Everlasting God” by Orlando Gibbons are written in simple four-part harmony and sung unaccompanied allowing the text to be clearly heard.

Sunday, March 10 – The First Sunday in Lent

During Lent, our liturgies change to reflect the spirit of the penitential season. As a reminder of our brokenness and need of Christ’s mercy, we begin the spoken liturgy with a reading of The Decalogue (The Ten Commandments) followed by a time of confession – both silent and corporate. In place of the usual Gloria, we sing the Kyrie (Lord, have mercy…). Additionally, we sing the Agnus Dei (Jesus, Lamb of God) at the Eucharist. Gone are all spoken and sung Alleluias, and we simplify certain elements of the service. At 9 am, the choir enters from the side doors rather than processing; and at 11 am, the psalm is sung to ancient plainsong (as opposed to the more elaborate Anglican chant used during other liturgical seasons), with the congregation singing the antiphon as indicated.

The sacred music of Herbert Howells is among the most significant and enduring Anglican church music of the 20th century. Snowed in at Cheltenham while London was under a nearly constant air assault in January 1941, Howells composed feverishly during the first two weeks of the year. Though he titled the resulting choral works simply Four Anthems, it is clear from his writings that he originally conceived of the set as anthems “in time of war.” The third in the set, “Like as the Hart Desireth the Waterbrooks” has become the most enduring. Written in the span of a single day (January 8, 1941) “Like as the Hart” (sung at the Offertory) is a simple, but at times mysteriously foreboding, setting of the first three verses of Psalm 42.