SAN THIRD ANNIVERSARY SEASON THIRD EVENSONG DR. ROBERT M. FINSTER MUSIC DIRECTOR

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1 MUSICA SACRA SAN ANTONIO SCHOLA IN RESIDENCE AT OUR LADY OF THE ATONEMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH THIRD ANNIVERSARY SEASON THIRD EVENSONG DR. ROBERT M. FINSTER MUSIC DIRECTOR Musica Sacra San Antonio will offer fine choral music: To the glory and praise of the Triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, the Mother of God, Our Lady of the Atonement. EXQUISITE LITURGICAL WORSHIP RICH CHORAL REPERTOIRE DEFINITIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

2 FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT: Invocabit me 17 FEBRUARY 2013 SOLEMN EVENSONG 4.00 O Clock MUSIC OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH An Eastern Orthodox - Western Rite Vesper Service Thank you for sharing our prayer today. The Choir alone will sing the Evening Office in the tradition of English collegiate chapels and cathedrals. The People are invited to follow the words and music to lift up heart and mind to the Lord our God in prayer and meditation. Please join the Choir in heartily singing the Apostles Creed, the Office Hymn, and the Prayers. You are asked to silence all mobile phones, pagers, and other electronic devices. All rise as the Procession enters the Church BLESSED is our God always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. PRECES Sarum Plainsong O GOD, make speed to save us: O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. Praise ye the Lord. The Lord s Name be praised. PHOS HILARON Svete tikhi Aleksei Shipovalnikov, b (Rostov on the Don) Алексей Шиповальников Choirmaster, Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Jersey City, New Jersey Свете тихий, святыя славы, везсмертнаго Отца Небеснаго Свитаго Блаженнаго, Иисусе Христе! Пришедше на запад сонца, видевше свет вечерний, поем Отца, Сына и Святаго Духа, Бога. Достоин єси во вся времена пет быти гласы преподобными, Сыне Божий, живот даяй, темже мир Тя славит! Gracious Light, radiant glory, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, blessed Jesus Christ! Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, we praise God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Worthy art thou to be glorified throughout the ages in hymns of praise, Son of God, Giver of Life; all the world doth praise thee! Greek Candlelighting Hymn found in Apostolic Constitutions, late 3 rd cent. 2

3 All are seated PSALM 103:1-4 (102 Greek) Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Gospoda Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov, 1859 (Gatchina) (Moscow) Михаил Микайлович Ипполитов-Иванов Влагослови, душе моя, Господа, влагословен еси, Господи. Влагослови, душе моя, Господа, и вся внутренняя моя имя святое Его. Влагослови, душе моя, Господа, и не забывай всехъ воздаяний Его; очищающаго вся беззакония твоя: исцеляющаго вся недуги твоя: избавляющаго от истлення живот твой, венчающаго тя милостию и щедротами. Влагослови, душе моя, Господа, и вся внутренняя моя имя святое Его. Влагословен еси, Господи. Bless the Lord, O my soul, blessed art thou, O Lord. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and mercy. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul. A READING FROM DANIEL [9.3-10] CANTICLE OF THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS Znamenny Chant All stand Знаменньий Распев MY SOUL magnifies the Lord: and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. More honourable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim: without defilement you gave birth to God the Word: true Theotokos, we magnify you. For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. More honourable than the Cherubim., For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name; and his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation More honourable than the Cherubim., He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. More honourable than the Cherubim., He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. More honourable than the Cherubim., He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever. More honourable than the Cherubim., Magnificat Luke Chanter: Cheryl Crews All are seated A READING FROM JOHN [ ] 3

4 ST. SIMEON S PRAYER All stand Alexander Dmitrievich Kastalsky, 1856 (Moscow) (Moscow) Александр Дмитриевич Кастальский LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; For my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: A light to enlighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel. Nunc dimittis Luke APOSTLES CREED Intoned by Priest, then chanted recto tono by all THE PRAYERS Sarum Plainsong The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. Let us pray. All kneel KYRIE eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison. OUR FATHER Otche nash Anton Stepanovich Arensky, 1861 (Novgorod) (Perkjärvi, Finland) Антон Степанович Аренский Отче нащъ, иже еси на небесех, да святится имя Твое, да приидет царствие Твое, да будет воля Твоя, яко на небеси н на земли. Хлеб наш насущный даждь нам днесь, и остави нам долги наша, яко же и мы оставляем должником нашим; и не введи нас во искушение, но избави нас от лукаваго. Аминь. OUR FATHER, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. 4

5 SUFFRAGES Sarum Plainsong O Lord, show thy mercy upon us; And grant us thy salvation. O Lord, save the State; And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee. Endue thy ministers with righteousness; And make thy chosen people joyful. O Lord, save thy people; And bless thine inheritance. Give peace in our time, O Lord; For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest us dwell in safety. O God, make clean our hearts within us. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us. COLLECTS For Sundays LORD GOD, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ triumphed over the powers of death and prepared for us our place in the new Jerusalem: Grant that we, who have this day given thanks for his resurrection, may praise thee in that City of which he is the light; and where he liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen. For Peace O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Grant unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of all enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. For Aid against Perils LIGHTEN OUR DARKNESS, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. For Mission O GOD, who dost manifest in thy servants the signs of thy presence: Send forth upon us the Spirit of love, that in companionship with one another thine abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. All are seated 5

6 CONCERTO IN MEMORY OF ALEXANDER YURLOV КОНЦЕРТ ПАМЯТИ А. А. ЮРЛОВА Georgy Sviridov, 1915 (Fatezh, Kursk Region) (Moscow) Георгий Свиридов 1 Плач Weeping 2 Расставие The Parting 3 Хорал Chorale Monica Northrop, soprano Carr Hornbuckle, tenor This work was composed shortly after the untimely death of Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Yurlov, Yurlov is considered the premiere choral conductor of his generation, perhaps, of the entire Soviet period from As Artistic Director of the famed Russian Academic Cappella from , he achieved international recognition as an advocate of Russian liturgical music an enormously risky role during Khrushchev s animate anti-religious campaign and as a champion of Georgy Sviridov s music, several of whose works were dedicated to Yurlov and premiered by Yurlov. This was a happy companionship bound by a mutual love of native choral traditions and inspired by the creative possibilities of an outstanding professional choir. Yurlov s death at age 46 came as a tragic shock to Sviridov and the nation. Though the Concerto is composed for mixed choir without text, it is, nevertheless, a programmatic work. The program unfolds through the titles of the three movements: Weeping with its poignant, lamentoso bursts of grief; The Parting with its almost visual descent of the deceased into the ground (musically represented by a descent from the upper ranges of the soprano voice part to the lowest register of the basses); and Chorale the ascent of the soul into heaven (again, musically depicted by a broadening of the choral texture into the upper ranges of the soprano voice and by the final cluster chord of the Ascension, according to Sviridov.) The Concerto is a kind of personalized burial service, clearly outside the established liturgical traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church, and yet, distinctly Christian in content and ritual an amazing adaptation of religious tradition in a hostile, anti-religious environment. The key forces at work in Sviridov s works are the Orthodox Faith and narodnost (a nineteenth century literary concept that, generally speaking, refers to a nation s spirit, its collective zeitgeist, or the accumulation of a people s spirit through the ages). Russian culture takes its origin and unique form from St. Vladimir s historic conversion to Orthodox Christianity in 988 A.D. The preeminence of literature as an art form on Russian soil and the Russian composers attraction to concrete image-oriented compositional forms also connect to this primary source. Spiridov s deliberate espousal of vocal genres is properly understood as a logical continuation of a national tendency. The chorus is heard as the symbol and voice of the people. (See more on page 10.) Peter Jermihov, 1998 KONTAKION FOR THE DEAD Kievan Monastic Chant GIVE REST, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. Thou only art immortal, the creator and maker of mankind; and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and unto earth shall we return. For so thou didst ordain when thou createdst me, saying, Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. All we go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alliluiya, alliluiya, alliluiya. Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. Russian Orthodox Burial Hymn, found in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. 6

7 All stand and sing OFFICE HYMN WORDS: Carl P. Daw, Jr., b. 1944, a metrical version of the Kontakion sung above MUSIC: Russia, Alexis Lvov, Stanza 1: choir alone Stanzas 2-4: all sing in parts PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS Let us pray. All kneel SUNDRY PRAYERS 7

8 THE GENERAL THANKSGIVING Priest and People ALMIGHTY GOD, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men. We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen PRAYER OF SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM Priest All are seated O GOD, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee, and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen. MOTET OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Igor Stravinsky, 1882 (St. Petersburg) (New York) Игорь Стравинский AVE MARIA gratia plena, Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Jesus. Sancta Maria mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Luke 1.28, 42 All stand 8

9 DISMISSAL The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God. THE GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore. Amen. MAY THE SOULS of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. All remain standing as the Procession exits the Church Participating in this Service: OFFICIANT: LECTOR: CHOIR: CHOIRMASTER: Rev. Father Christopher G. Phillips Rev. Deacon James P. Orr Schola of MUSICA SACRA SAN ANTONIO Dr. Robert M. Finster YOU U ARE INVITED TO A RECEPTION IN BLESSED JOHN PAUL II LIBRARY 9

10 TO NOTE OUR LADY OF THE ATONEMENT CHURCH is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, the first of several personal parishes to be erected in the United States for the Anglican Use Liturgy, established under the terms of the Pastoral Provision granted by Blessed John Paul II in 1980, to provide a spiritual and cultural home for Anglicans returning to the Catholic Church. The Book of Divine Worship (2002), largely based on the Episcopal Church s 1928 and 1979 Books of Common Prayer and conformed to the teaching and practice of the Roman Catholic Church, is the authorized source for Anglican Use s liturgical and theological content. The worship is richly, authentically, and fully Catholic. The liturgies will sound and feel familiar to Anglicans, including American Episcopalians. MUSICA SACRA SAN ANTONIO, an elite choral ensemble in residence at Our Lady of the Atonement, is a group of select singers dedicated to offering fine arts liturgical music at Sunday Evensong in the parish. Distinct from the excellent and notable choral music program of the Parish and of The Atonement Academy, Edmund G. Murray, organist and choirmaster, Musica Sacra San Antonio is a small chorus of highly skilled scholar/choristers who seek to share the intense musical and spiritual experience found in presenting significant liturgical music within the rich setting of this extraordinary parish. The Schola s unique musical repertoire is derived from Latin, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican sources. ROBERT M. FINSTER, Music Director of Musica Sacra San Antonio, is a proponent of the chant and liturgical music repertory of the Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, and Anglican Church traditions. From he was the founder and artistic director of San Antonio s acclaimed Texas Bach Choir, at that time the third such concert choir he had developed, as well as organist and choirmaster of St. Luke s Alamo Heights and later Our Lady of the Atonement. After 1990 he served in the Chicago area for nearly two decades a parish musician, conductor, and seminary music director and professor. As principal conductor of the distinguished professional group Ars Musica Chicago, he assembled and directed, alongside numerous Renaissance and Baroque concerts, the first North American performance (1999, DePaul University) of the massive oratorio St. Vincent de Paul by the French composer Marie Octave Fernande Viconte de Beaufranchet ( ). He also presented at DePaul a multi-year series of workshops on Byzantine, Russian Znamenny, and Gregorian chanting. Returning to Texas in 2008, Finster taught liturgical music at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, and is Music Director and Organist for St. Stephen s Episcopal Church (CCPIM) in San Antonio. TODAY S EVENSONG, the text of which is taken as always from the Order for Evening Prayer in the Roman Catholic/Anglican Use service book, The Book of Divine Worship, becomes also essentially an Eastern Orthodox/Western Rite Vespers according to the use of the St. Dunstan s Plainsong Psalter, an Orthodox Christian liturgical book. The liturgies and music in the latter are based on the pre-1549 Sarum (Salisbury) and York Rites of Catholic England and are in many respects similar, if not identical, to the evening office normally offered here from the 1662 English Book of Common Prayer. Whether the liturgical language is Church Slavonic which is to modern Russian and other Slavic languages approximately as Latin is to modern Spanish, Italian, and French or English, the texts in this service all conform to the customary liturgical use of the Orthodox Church in America, which has strong Russian roots, and of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, and other Eastern Orthodox churches in America. Indeed, although full ecclesiastical organic unity still eludes us, we rejoice that in this place, today, at least, both Eastern and Western Christians may easily and congenially share our worship of God the Holy Trinity. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON SVIRIDOV Sviridov s style is entirely programmatic, Romantic in sentiment but laconic in means, and lies well within the tonal framework. Trademarks of this style include a rich palette of vocal and instrumental expressive devices: a bocca chiusa, glissandi, sforzati, pedal techniques and pitch clusters; a highly individual harmonic language with peculiarities of voice-leading and doubling, frequent use of modality, static effects, and an expanded use of strophic forms. His choral texture is symphonic in scope: he employs the widest range of dynamics, dissonant intervals and chords within the overriding effect that is consonance, both acoustic and aesthetic. 10

11 MUSICA SACRA SAN ANTONIO SCHOLA * on leave SOPRANO Cheryl Crews, *Roslyn Lamborn, Claire Matecko, Monica Northrop, Merry Saegert, Judith Yates ALTO Penny Cleveland, Sandra Falkenberg, Elizabeth Harlan, Mary Heather Herschell, Robin Morales, Sylvia Wrenn BOARD OF DIRECTORS TENOR Ralph Falkenberg, Carr Hornbuckle, Mark Mangus, Joel Saegert BASS Troy Cleveland, Kenneth Donoughue, James Harnish, Kevin Stephenson ADVISORY COUNCIL Dr. Robert M. Finster, Music Director Ian J. Bremner, Houston James A. Harnish, Chairman Madolyn Douglas Fallis, San Antonio G. Lawrence Lamborn Claire W. Matecko, San Antonio Edmund G. Murray Mary D. O Dowd, Evanston, IL William J. Phalen, Vice-Chairman Joan Sandstrom McKinley, Vista, CA Fr. Christopher G. Phillips, ex officio Dr. H. Ricardo Ramirez, Charles M. Wilson Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago, IL Linda S. Williams, New Braunfels Judith A. Hall, Administrator Judith L. Yates, San Antonio BENEFACTORS SERAPHIM ($1000) CHERUBIM ($500) Larry and Dolores Martin The Rev. Larry and Andi Boyd In thanksgiving for Dr. Robert Finster Don and Kay Stackhouse Gift of Ron and Judy Hall Madolyn Fallis Dr. Joel and Dr. Merry Saegert Judy Yates Jim and Millie Harnish Bill and Lucy Phalen Larry and Roslyn Lamborn Chuck and Terry Wilson ARCHANGELS ($100) Jeff and Amber Delaney DOMINIONS ($250) Dr. Bob and Mary Lew Finster Ralph and Sandy Falkenberg Betty and Martin Notzon Baker and Sally Duncan ANGELS ($50) Warren Weir Jaromir and Mary Becan M. E. Reid Cecilio and Linda Hernandez Mary T. Henriquez Helen Fountain Anne Morris V. H. and Nicki Phillips In memoriam Dave Petersen Gift of Mary Ann and Art Winden 11

12 OUR THIRD SEASON CONTINUES 7 APRIL, PM SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER PRECES Gerald Near, b PSALM 111 (110) Confitebor tibi Anglican Chant, Thomas Attwood, MAGNIFICAT Thomas Attwood Walmisley, NUNC DIMITTIS T. A. Walmisley LORD S PRAYER AND SUFFRAGES G. Near HAEC DIES QUAM FECIT DOMINUS William Byrd, REGINA COELI Orlando di Lasso, MAY, PM PENTECOST PRECES John Bertalot, b PSALM 122 Laetatus sum Leo Sowerby, MAGNIFICAT William James Ross, b NUNC DIMITTIS W. J. Ross LORD S PRAYER AND SUFFRAGES J. Bertalot LOBET DEN HERRN ALLE HEIDEN, BWV 230 Johann Sebastian Bach, AVE MARIS STELLA Hans Leo Hassler, MUSICA SACRA SAN ANTONIO SCHOLA IN RESIDENCE AT OUR LADY OF THE ATONEMENT CHURCH Mailing Address: 542 Crestway Drive, San Antonio, TX (new number) Dr. Robert M. Finster, Music Director OUR LADY OF THE ATONEMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH Red Robin Road, San Antonio, TX Rev. Fr. Christopher G. Phillips, Pastor Rev. Fr. Jeffery W. Moore, Parochial Vicar Rev. Mr. Michael d Agostino, Deacon Rev. Mr. James P. Orr, Deacon Mr. Edmund G. Murray, Parish Organist and Choirmaster 12