News from the Edinburgh Schola

The St Margaret Schola goes from strength to strength. Founded with the specific aims of rendering praise unto God, preserving the music of the Church, and promoting the use of Chant throughout the St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese, the Schola has now sung Latin Vespers (Extraordinary Form) in St Mary's Cathedral on ten occasions. This has now become a monthly event - the most recent being for the Feast of St Margaret, Queen of Scotland, where Vespers was celebrated by Fr John Emerson FSSP, and St Andrew, Patron of Scotland. Vespers is now always accompanied by Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament - an unexpected blessing from Our Lord.

Members of the Schola have also sang at recent Una Voce Scotland Masses at Seton Collegiate Church, the ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey, and also at various Requiem Masses this month. November also saw the first Mass at Torphichen Preceptory, the ancient seat of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (Knights of Malta), since the Reformation - again organised by Una Voce Scotland.

Upcoming "Dates for your Diary" include:

• Sunday 13 December, Vespers for the Third Sunday in Advent (St John Cantius, Broxburn);
• Thursday 17 December, the first of the Great Antiphons: "O Sapientia" (Vespers, 5.00pm);
• Sunday 20 December, Vespers for the Fourth Sunday in Advent (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Balornock);
• Thursday 21 January 2010, Vespers for St Agnes, Virgin & Martyr;
• Thursday 11 February 2010, Vespers for the Apparition of the B.V.M.;
• Thursday 25 March 2010, Vespers for the Annunciation of the B.V.M.
  

All liturgies will start at 6:45pm in St Mary's Cathedral, Broughton Street, Edinburgh, unless indicated otherwise. We also hope to arrange for the ancient Triduum practice of Tenebrae (sung Matins and Lauds) this coming year. Another commitment of the Schola is to regular Deanery Masses in the Ordinary Form (with the Ordinary sung in Latin Chant), which we hope to progress in the New Year.

As ever, we hope you will be able to join us for our events. We hope also to continue to swell our numbers, and all interested are invited to email edinburghschola at gmail.com .