Music at St. John's

A Festival of Lessons and Carols
Saint John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square
Washington, District of Columbia
December 17, 2006


Choral Prelude: Benjamin Britten, A Hymn to the Virgin

Processional Carol: Irby, Once in royal David's city

Lesson 1: Genesis 3:8-15, 17-19
Carol: William Bradley Roberts, Adam Lay Ybounden, with Annette Anfinrud, soprano

Lesson 2: Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7
Congregational Carol: Veni, veni Emmanuel, O come, O come Emmanuel

Lesson 3: Micah 5:2-5a
Congregational Carol: Forest Green, O little town of Bethlehem

Lesson 4: Isaiah 7:10-15
Carol: Cantus organum/Michael Praetorius/Hugo Distler, Lo! How a Rose E'er Blooming

Lesson 5: Luke 1:26-35, 38
Congregational Carol: Gabriel's Message, The angel Gabriel from heaven came

Lesson 6: Luke 1:39-56
Carol: Herbert Howells, A Spotless Rose, with Michael Pahr, baritone

Lesson 7: Luke 2:1-7
Carol: Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Hodie Christus natus est

Lesson 8: John 1:1-14
Congregational Carol: God Rest You Merry, God rest you merry, gentlemen

Offertory Carol: George Frederic Handel, Rejoice Greatly from Messiah, Claire Kuttler, soprano soloist
Congregational Carol: Mendelssohn, Hark! The herald angels sing

Recessional Carol: Gloria, Angels we have heard on high

Postlude: Charles-Marie Widor, Toccata from Symphonie V

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This morning Robert and I went to Lafayette Square for Christmas lessons and carols at St. John's. It's a little early, but since next Sunday is both Advent 4 and Christmas Eve, we forgive them. It's their adaptation of the traditional King's College, Cambridge, Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, which, for some reason at St. John's, is only eight lessons and carols. I sat in the balcony for the first time, and it provided a very nice place to see and hear the blend of the music.

The video above is the world premiere of the choirmaster's new setting of "Adam Lay Ybounden," which I thought was surprisingly pleasant and potentially useful for other choirs to sing (second performance-worthiness of most modern compositions is usually lacking), and that he just wrote last month especially for this service.

As I've previously mentioned, the choir is small (thirteen names are listed in the program), but they are very professional sounding and have, most of the time, a good blend (there was some soprano vibrato soaring out a few times today). They were particularly lovely when singing the Britten choral prelude, including an antiphonal quartet up in the balcony.

The organist played some very nice hymn accompaniments today, especially for The Angel Gabriel and God Rest Ye, Merry. He attempted the Widor Toccata for the postlude, which was fun, but a tad bit slow for my tastes (you organists stop cringing and put your daggers away!), but then, I like the Widor brisk.

After the postlude, they had a brief low Mass for the third or so of the congregation that cared to stay to receive Communion. When we went up to receive, I knelt at their rather tall altar rail, and as I lifted my hands to receive the Host, I leaned up against the rail and it inadvertently triggered the music button in my Christmas tie. Thus, we reverently ate Jesus to the tune of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."

But at least no one can accuse me of not turning off my cell phone.