May is an exciting month for music at Hampstead: on our first evensong of the month, we continue our traversal of Anglican music with that of Orlando Gibbons, featuring several of his most powerful church works. That morning we will hear the first of two settings of the Eastertide text Surrexit Pastor Bonus, on this occasion the exquisite setting by the Flemish composer L’heritier, and the following Sunday morning the setting by Lassus.
Music of the Renaissance is also featured on our special service on Ascension day, with the glorious motet and mass setting on “Ascendens Christus”, and Pentecost (24th) gives us a chance to revisit Tallis, whose settings of both Latin and English texts for this season traverse the extended period of the reformation and the establishment of our Anglican tradition.
We equally look to the present day, as on Sunday 17th we celebrate the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music with the Junior choir joining the Senior choir for evensong, with music by living composers Barry Ferguson and John Rutter, whilst welcoming a visiting choir Vivente from Holland to sing the anthem on Sunday morning, a magnificent setting of Psalm 100 by their fellow countrymen Andriessen.
June will see us continue our series on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month as we progress into the composers of the restoration period, with Pelham Humfrey, John Blow, and of course the towering figure of Henry Purcell. I do hope you will continue to join us on this journey of music and faith.
More information available in the music section of our website.