New Events

The Schola's monthly Vespers have moved to Saturday evenings at 4:30pm.

The calendar of events has been updated for October and November and can be viewed here.

Holy Saturday Tenebræ Cancelled

* HOLY SATURDAY TENEBRÆ CANCELLED *

Owing to complications brought about by three days of no electricity in the Cathedral, we have with regret taken the decision to cancel Holy Saturday Tenebræ. Our sincere apologies to those of you who had intended to come. Next year, God willing...

The Schola was grateful to receive permission to bring some of the marvellous liturgy of the Great Week back to St Mary’s Cathedral this year. From early February we had been arranging additional practices in an attempt to learn all the music for Tenebræ. This quickly proved to be an impossibility, given the sheer amount to be learnt (the total duration of these Tenebræ, where Vigils and Lauds are chanted together without a break, over the three days of the Triduum amounts to some eight hours of chanting): antiphons, psalms and responsories combine to imbue these great offices with more drama that in all the operas ever penned by man.

The very name, Tenebræ, derived most probably from the Good Friday responsory, “Tenebræ factæ sunt” (although some scholars differ on this), had a certain relevance this year, given that from the Tuesday until Good Friday morning the Cathedral had been completely without electric power supply. (Purists might add that the relevance would have been all the greater had not the 1955 reform of the Liturgy introduced by Pope Pius XII stipulated that Tenebræ, instead of being anticipated on the night before, should now take place on the morning of the day itself!) Shadows are not seen as clearly in daylight, but the overwhelming culminating effect of nigh on three hours of uninterrupted chant on each of three successive days, I would venture to say, leaves one with more than just an inkling of the enormity of what took place over those three days of Our Lord’s Passion. As for the cantors, I can vouch for us all when I say that the physical effect cannot be much different from that of running a marathon! We were delighted that Fr Brendan Gerard FSSP, in Edinburgh to assist Fr Emerson over Easter, was able to be present with us as officiant for the two days when we were able to chant this great office: Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The Schola’s thanks are also due in no small measure to Mark Hamid, who at very short notice set about applying his carpentry skills and coming up with a magnificent Tenebræ Hearse, without which we could not in all conscience have gone ahead with the solemnity we managed to achieve.

Scottish Catholic Observer

Ben Whitworth of the Orkney Schola reliably informs us that we are in the Scottish Catholic Observer this week.

Thank you, SCO!

Forthcoming Events

Thursday 6th August
Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord
Solemn Sung Latin Vespers
and Benediction

-

Saturday 15th August at 4pm
Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady
Solemn Sung Latin Vespers

The Schola will be collaborating with Simon Nieminski, the Cathedral Organist, for the second of his Saturday Vespers on the last four Saturdays in August. Together we will perform Marcel Dupré's Vespres de la Sainte Vierge for Chant and Organ. The event will be of particular significance not only because it will be the ninetieth anniversary of the work's premiere at Notre Dame de Paris but also because it will be the patronal feast of the Cathedral and thus an important day for the whole Archdiocese. We hope that as many people as possible will be able to join us from the various deaneries. Vespers will be followed by a recital on the new organ.

-

Thursday 3rd September
Feast of Pope St Pius X
Solemn Sung Latin Vespers
and Benediction

-

Thursday 15th October
Feast of St Teresa of Ávila
Solemn Sung Latin Vespers
and Benediction

-

All liturgies begin at 6:45 pm at St Mary’s Cathedral unless otherwise stated.

Recent Vespers

We are happy to report that our recent Vespers for the Feasts of St Joseph and the Ascension have been most successful.

Our thanks must go to our officiants Fr Neil Ferguson OP (St Joseph and Ascension) and Fr John Emerson FSSP (St Joseph the Worker) and to everyone who has served and assisted at Vespers.

We are most grateful to Eoghain Murphy for sending us photographs of Vespers and Benediction for the Feast of St Joseph the Worker.

The Schola singing the psalms

The incense is placed in the thurible

Fr Emerson approaches the altar to give Benediction.

The Schola is looking forward to its next liturgy which will be First Vespers for the Feast of the Sacred Heart on 18th June at 6:45pm. We plan to have a full compliment of six coped assistants to compliment the chant, as is fitting for such a great feast.