St Peter’s Choir
About this week’s music
This week’s Mass setting is the Mass in A, published in 1901 by Marmaduke Barton. The anthem is Hosanna to the Son of David, by Orlando Gibbons (1583 - 1625).
The euphoniously-named Marmaduke Barton was one of the first fifty students to receive a scholarship to the then-new Royal College of Music, where he studied piano and composition. He was the soloist at the premiere performance of Charles Wood's Piano Concerto. In 1887 he played before Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle in a concert celebrating her Golden Jubilee, and in that same year participated in the first English performance of Palestrina's Stabat Mater. He is remembered nowadays for his astonishing career as a concert pianist, with the Royal College of Music continuing to offer a prize for piano-playing in his name.
Barton's unaccompanied Mass in A was first published in 1901 and, containing no Gloria, is suitable for Advent or Lent. The mass was dedicated to Fr Michael Gavin SJ, of Farm Street Church in London. This is likely its first performance in decades, either in Australia or overseas. The score the choir is using today has been prepared by chorister Daniel Mitterdorfer.
About the St Peter’s Choir
Founded in 1847, the choir of St Peter's Eastern Hill is one of the oldest continuing Anglican church choirs in Australia.
Music plays an important part in the liturgical life of St Peter’s, with the choir singing at High Mass on Sundays as well as regular Evensongs. Our repertoire ranges from Plainsong to more recent liturgical settings, with a range of familiar and lesser-known composers. We are particularly enjoying re-discovering English Communion settings of the late 19th and early 20th century, alongside the great Mass settings of the Renaissance.
Membership is made up of volunteers, professional musicians, and a quartet of Foundation Scholars who are studying singing at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. The Church recently launched the music foundation to support this endeavour and to provide opportunities for young up-and-coming singers to develop their performance experience while contributing to our liturgy; if you would like more information about this, or to support this vital ministry, please contact the Director of Music, Christopher Watson.
Join the choir
The choir rehearses at 9 am for a 10.30 am service, with no mid-week rehearsal or other commitment. We encourage amateur singers who wish to sing regularly or occasionally to get in touch with our Director of Music, Christopher Watson, to arrange an audition.