Anglican Notables – William Byrd – 4 July

Originally posted on St. Benet Biscop Chapter of St. John's Oblates:
Anglican Notables – William Byrd (Composers, Musicians) – 4 July [This is a series of biographical sketches of Anglican men and women whose lives have been exemplary in virtue and/or have made significant contributions to Anglicanism’s expression of the Gospel.  Written from the…

Anglican Notables – Orlando Gibbons – 5 June

Originally posted on St. Benet Biscop Chapter of St. John's Oblates:
Anglican Notables – Orlando Gibbons (Composers, Musicians) – 5 June [This is a series of biographical sketches of Anglican men and women whose lives have been exemplary in virtue and/or have made significant contributions to Anglicanism’s expression of the Gospel.? Written from the…

Ascension Day, St. John’s College Chapel Choir – 26 May 2022

Ascension Day, 26 May 2022 – St. John’s College Chapel Choir, Cambridge [Image: Ascension Day 2022 – photo by Martin Bond, photo No. 4449 in his daily photos of Cambridge, England (A Cambridge Diary)] Every year on Ascension Day, the St John’s College Chapel Choir ascends the 163ft Tower and sings the Ascension Day Carol….

Stewart Duncan, “An Excellent Piece of Propaganda”

The following, taken from this link, is of possible interest on this page because the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, is among the choirs discussed in the article. [ Image: newspaper article from the 1930s.  (Apologies for the poor quality of the reproduction.) ] Indiana University PhD candidate Stewart Duncan’s article “‘An Excellent Piece of…

More on the Music at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Funeral

If interested in the full 22 April 2021 article, “Did They Mention the Music?”, on the role of music in Prince Philip’s funeral, follow this link. But the meat of the piece, for those interested in the Anglican patrimony and music, is the following paragraph: “There were other threads of connection skilfully woven into the…

Recent Video by James O’Donnell on Westminster Abbey’s Musical History

Enjoy James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, as he shares interesting facts from the Abbey’s musical history and some of his favorite organ works by composers closely associated with the Abbey.

Prince Philip & Benjamin Britten

The anthem following the first reading at the funeral of Prince Philip (17 April 2021) was Benjamin Britten’s 1961 setting of the Psalm 100 the “Jubilate Deo.” The epistolary evidence shows that Britten was keen to write liturgical music for St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, when Prince Philip and Britten corresponded about the possibility in the…

Anglican Notables – Herbert Howells (Musicians, Authors, & Poets) – 23 February

Anglican Notables – Herbert Howells (Musicians, Authors, & Poets) – 23 February – St. Benet Biscop Chapter of St. John’s Oblates (wordpress.com)

Richard Shephard – +20 February 2021 – May he rest in peace.

Reporting the sad news of the death of Richard Shephard, MBE, FRSCM (20 March 1949 – 20 February 2021).  Considered “one of the most significant composers of church music of his time,” he was also an educator and had several roles at Yorkminster and in Yorkshire. Follow this link for a performance of his Responses…

Anglican Notables – Healey Willan – 16 February

Anglican Notables – Healey Willan (Musicians, Authors, & Poets) – 16 February – St. Benet Biscop Chapter of St. John’s Oblates (wordpress.com)