Pentecost XVIII - 26 September 2021

We celebrate the Eighteenth Sunday of Pentecost with an online Said Mass.

10.00 am Said Mass (traditional language)

You can find the service HERE.

You can find the leaflet HERE.

An organ recital in progress: part 102

Dear SMM Community,
 

The next part of my online organ recital is here, and I hope that you enjoy it. I offer up these musical meditations as part of our parish efforts to find ways to keep you connected at this time. Recorded on my house organ, the instrument is a musical facsimile of the great 'Father' Willis organ at Salisbury Cathedral.

Today, I present Joseph Bonnet's Romance sans paroles.


Joseph Bonnet (1884-1944) was born in Bordeaux and took up his first church appointment at fourteen. He was appointed organist of St. Eustache in 1906, and toured England and America extensively as a concert artist. Fleeing occupied France in 1940, he settled in New York, and later created an organ department at the University of Rochester. A few years later Bonnet moved to Canada, where he lived the rest of his life in Quebec.



With best wishes,
Andrew Adair
Director of Music

Pentecost XVII - 19 September 2021

We are celebrating the Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost with an online Said Mass.

10.00 am Said Mass (modern language)

You can find the service HERE.

You can find the leaflet HERE.

An organ recital in progress: part 101

Dear SMM Community,
 

The next part of my online organ recital is here, and I hope that you enjoy it. I offer up these musical meditations as part of our parish efforts to find ways to keep you connected at this time. Recorded on my house organ, the instrument is a musical facsimile of the great 'Father' Willis organ at Salisbury Cathedral.

Today, I present Félix-Alexandre Guilmant's Rêve.


Félix-Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911) was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, and studied with Belgian master Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens. In 1871 he was appointed to la Trinité in Paris, remaining for 30 years. He then gave up the post to travel as a virtuoso organist, and concertised internationally for the rest of his career, including within Canada. Guilmant’s Rêve comes from his Organ sonata No. 7 in F major, Op. 89.



With best wishes,
Andrew Adair
Director of Music

Pentecost XVI - 12 September 2021

We celebrate the Sixteenth Sunday of Pentecost with a pre-recorded mass.

10.00 am Said Mass (traditional language)

You can find the service HERE.

You can find the leaflet HERE.

An organ recital in progress: part 100

Dear SMM Community,
 

The 100th part of my online organ recital is here, and I hope that you enjoy it. It is hard to believe that I have now recorded 100 pieces for your enjoyment, but here is one of my favourite works for the instrument in celebration. I offer up these musical meditations as part of our parish efforts to find ways to keep you connected at this time. Recorded on my house organ, the instrument is a musical facsimile of the great 'Father' Willis organ at Salisbury Cathedral.

Today, I present César Franck's Pièce héroïque.

César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck (1822-1890) can be credited with bringing a level of sophistication to the composition of organ music not previously encountered in 19th century France. He worked closely with the organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll to ensure that his music would perfectly showcase the new genre of instrument–the ‘orchestral’ pipe organ.

Franck's Pièce héroïque has become especially popular, having been championed by concert organists such as Virgil Fox. Strangely enough, it is reported that Franck only ever performed the piece once, at the opening of the organ in the Palais de Trocadéro–perhaps it didn’t receive the enthusiastic reception it deserved.



With best wishes,
Andrew Adair
Director of Music