Choral Evensong

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Above: Poppies are traditionally worn on Remembrance Day in Britain, the United States, and many Commonwealth countries, and at Saint Thomas we distribute them in the narthex before the worship service to anyone who wants to wear one. Why the poppy? Poppies were the only flower that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, and they were quickly associated with remembrance of the war dead. As Canadian doctor John McCrae wrote: In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row…

This Solemn Requiem, one of the many jewels in the liturgical crown of our worship life at Saint Thomas, begins and ends in silence. In between, glorious music, full of yearning and hope (this year set to the Messe de Requiem of Maurice Duruflé) fills the church and our hearts as we remember all those who have gone before us. Complete details of the service, including the texts of the music selections, may be seen in the leaflet, which is posted at the bottom of this page. We do encourage you to worship with us, as we join ourselves with all those who have crossed the flood toward the eternal shore.

‚ñ∫The Rector speaks about Remembrance Day in his Weekly Audio Message.

‚ñ∫Remembrance Day caps two weeks of the great harvest. You might consider listening to webcasts of choral services from All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, and Solemn Eucharist and Solemn Evensong for the Solemnity of All Saints.

‚ñ∫This is the seventh week of the 2012 Every Member Canvass, through which we raise the money to pay for the annual operating expenses of the Church and Choir School. Read more here and consider making a pledge online. We ask everyone who worships with us, including the many thousands from around the globe who have listened to at least one webcast, to consider making a pledge in support of our mission.

Music notes: Maurice Durufl√© (1902-1986) wrote his sublime setting of the Requiem in 1947, following the conclusion of the Second World War and the death of his father. The work is a deeply personal expression of the composer’s Catholic faith and is clearly modeled on the Requiem setting of Gabriel Faur√©. Like Faur√©, Durufl√© eschewed the tendency towards blazing imagery and violent grief in setting the texts of the Day of Judgment, choosing instead to focus on the peaceful elements of the text. Drawing on the cultural heritage of his predecessors in the organ lofts of nineteenth and early-twentieth century Paris, Durufl√© moulds together complex counterpoint and rich harmony to great effect. The unique fusion of these elements with plainsong and a strong sense of liturgical modality give the work a deeply spiritual character, pervaded throughout by the tranquil optimism of the composer’s vision of the eternal.

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• Choral Services
• Worship Services