Music for Sunday

This Sunday Christ Church will be anticipating the feast of the Epiphany, which falls on Tuesday.  Here is the organ music I have planned:


Fantasie -- Louis Couperin
March of the Magi Kings from Douze Pièces pour Orgue – Théodore Dubois

Music for the Sunday after Christmas

After all the excitement of the last couple of days, you'd think it's time for a rest...

Ah, but there's always a Sunday lurking in the wings, so here is what I have planned for this week.

Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schaar [BWV 606] -- J.S. Bach
Das alte Jahr vergangen ist [BWV 614] -- J.S. Bach
Wir Christenlaut [BWV 612] -- J.S. Bach

Out and about for Christmas

There are two times in the year when being in the church music game can be like a running race. The work of Holy Week and Easter is spread out over a few days, which gives time to rest before starting again. Christmas is a different matter: it is a sprint from the middle of the day on Christmas Eve to lunch on Christmas day.

This Christmas is as busy as ever. Before this post pops up, I will have done a series of carolling gigs including in a hospital, a parish street-side singalong, a couple of more formal carol services, along with all the associated rehearsals and preparatory work. When I started out as a church musician I was given a useful piece of advice: plan your Christmas music before September.

From Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning I have four services. Here is the music I have planned for each of these.

4.00pm Family Service at Christ Church, Brunswick

Minuet Gothique — Leon Boëlmann

8.30pm Christmas Eve Mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Hawthorn

Minuet Gothique — Leon Boëlmann

11.00pm Carols and 11.30pm Midnight Mass at Christ Church, Brunswick

There will be a choir for this service, and here is the music we have planned:

Missa O Quam Gloriosum -- Tomas Luis da Victoria
All this time -- William Walton

Toccata from Douze Pieces (1886) -- Theodore Dubois


10.00am High Mass for Christmas Day at Christ Church, Brunswick

Trio super Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Her [BWV 664] -- J.S. Bach

Music for Sunday

Here is the organ music I have planned for Christ Church this week:

Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland [BWV 659] -- J.S. Bach
Trio super Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland [BWV 660] -- J.S. Bach

Events in Sydney

For some reason, a poem of Les Murray I encountered recently popped into my head when I heard news of the siege in a cafe in Martin Place in Sydney.

The word goes round Repins,
the murmur goes round Lorenzinis,
at Tattersalls, men look up from sheets of numbers,
the Stock Exchange scribblers forget the chalk in their hands
and men with bread in their pockets leave the Greek Club:
There's a fellow crying in Martin Place. They can't stop him. 

The traffic in George Street is banked up for half a mile
and drained of motion. The crowds are edgy with talk
and more crowds come hurrying....

It's worth going and visiting the page for this poem on Les Murray's website. There you will find a recording of the poet reading the poem.

Out and about on Sunday

Here is the organ music I have planned for Christ Church this Sunday:

Ciacona [BuxWV 160] -- Dietrich Buxtehude
Wachet Auf (Op. 78, No. 18) -- Sigfrid Karg-Elert

Music for Sunday

Here is the organ music I have planned for Christ Church this coming Sunday:

Largo from Sonata V (BWV 529] -- J.S. Bach
Fantasie et Fugue — Alexandre P.F. Boëly