FROM DR. DAVID HURD: ON OUR MUSIC PROGRAM AS WE BEGIN THE CHOIR SEASON

With the arrival of the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels on September 29, the 2026–2027 choir season has begun. For many years, the choir of Saint Mary’s has been an octet of professional musicians and has offered the choral settings of the Mass ordinary, motets, and the designated Gregorian chants at Solemn Masses from early fall through the observance of Corpus Christi on the second Sunday following Pentecost in the spring. The choir has customarily taken a break during the summer, returning in full complement briefly on the Feast of the Assumption in mid-August and then resuming its hiatus until October. In the absence of the choir, individual cantors have supplied musical leadership and offered solos during the summer seasons. In the past, we have nicknamed this liturgical season cantor-tide. However, this past summer, through the generosity of several parishioners, choral music has been offered at all Sunday Solemn Masses by quartets of singers who have provided the customary musical settings of the Mass. So, cantor-tide has become quartet-tide. Twenty-five musicians have participated in these quartets in the course of the summer including present and past regular members of the choir as well as several who constitute our “extended family,” that is, those musicians who sing at Saint Mary’s occasionally when our regular members are absent. Many thanks to all who have made this enrichment of the Sunday liturgy at Saint Mary’s possible.

The roster of our choir is ever-evolving and, as we begin our fall season, we welcome returning choir members: altos Kirsten Ott and Eli Berman, tenor Christopher Howatt, and basses Muir Ingliss and Ben Powell. Sopranos Annie Beliveau and Gileann Tan will be with us much of the time with other members of our “extended family” filling in the gaps. Likewise, we will welcome several visiting tenors. All in all, we expect the season ahead to be one of rich choral music on Sundays and principal feast days. Chorally, as in past years, quartets will sing at Evensong and Benediction on the first Sunday afternoon of each month, on All Souls’ Day, and on the Eve of Thanksgiving.

Before the pandemic, it had been customary for Wednesday noon Masses to include singing and organ music. While this practice was suspended in 2020, music has gradually reappeared in the past two years at some weekday Masses in honor of Our Lady and other special days. Happily, music at Wednesday noon Masses is being restored this fall, which began on September 30.

A further development in music at Saint Mary’s is the presence of Alan Montgomery as Artist in Residence. Alan, who is Project Director for Casavant Frères, a leading pipe organ builder based in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, maintains an office at Saint Mary’s and will be participating in our music in the coming season. He will direct the Sunday music on October 18, and he will play the first recital in our Feast Day organ series preceding Evensong and Benediction on All Saints’ Day, Sunday, November 1. (The full line-up of Feast Day organ recitals for the season ahead will be discussed in a future Angelus article.) We will hear more of Alan throughout the season.

Of the many things related to our music which go on behind the scenes is the care of the Aeolian-Skinner organ. Lawrence Trupiano, the curator of the organ, has given it exemplary care for many years. Pipe organs, like all mechanical devices, have parts that wear and require care and periodic refurbishing or replacement. Larry’s knowledge and care of the organ has kept this distinguished instrument playing beautifully even as it nears a century of use. Several stops of the organ’s essential tonal skeleton were rendered silent for most of the summer so that their dependability could be restored. This re-leathering of the action was accomplished, and the organ’s Great division is once again fully functional. Many thanks to Larry for his care and workmanship.

In 2016, when I first came to Saint Mary’s as music director, the working choral library contained scores of nearly three thousand compositions, most of which were registered in a database and stored in file cabinets in a room in the Mission House. In the past decade, more than two-hundred-fifty new titles have been added to our music collection, almost all of which have been sung by the choir in the liturgy during that time. With thanks to Mary Robison, the old database has been migrated to a more flexible platform and, with thanks to Christopher Howatt, these many new compositions are being recorded in the database and prepared for physical storage and ready access. The choral library at Saint Mary’s is a vital resource for our worship life, and this crucial updating, accomplished by Mary and Christopher, will help it to serve more effectively.

So, with thanks to all who sing, who play instruments, who listen attentively, and who support music at Saint Mary’s in the many ways music is supported, may our music continue to enrich our common life and deepen our awareness and love of God in our midst at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. — DJH

PARISH PRAYERS

We pray for our sister parish, the Church of All Saints’, Margaret Street, London, and for the Anglican Church of Brazil, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Zac, Nick, Christopher, Grace, Katie, Tim, Sara, Mary, Diane, Jared, Daisy, Rob, Judy, Jennifer, Laura, Dorian, Jay, Rita, Courtney, Dennis, Burks, Steven, Blaise, Jon, Jeff, Derick, Phil, Laura, Sue, Emilie, Sharon, Monique, Cassius, Lisa, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holly, Becky, Bill, Grady, Violet, Pat, Allen, Giovanna, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Desarae, David, Tony, Jan, Carlos, Quincy, Leroy, and Margaret; James, Victoria, and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; and Tom, Jay, and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, and for those whose year’s mind is on October 4: Isabella Atkinson (1916), Virginia Wittens Blauchard (1920), and Henry Ammi Dows, priest (1926).

AROUND THE PARISH

Transitus of St. Francis on Saturday — The Society of St. Francis will offer a Transitus service at Saint Mary’s on Saturday, October 3, at 6:00 PM. This liturgy, which commemorates the death of St. Francis on the eve of his feast day, will be led by Br. Thomas, SSF, along with local members of the Third Order. A simple reception follows. All are welcome.

Adult Formation starts this Sunday — Sunday morning Adult Formation starts up again this Sunday, October 4, with the new program year. The first class will be on Anglo-Catholicism. Please visit the formation page on our website for more details. We meet in St. Joseph’s Hall at 9:45 AM. All are welcome.

Blessing of the Animals on Sunday — In honor of St. Francis Day, we will offer the Blessing of the Animals at 2:00 PM this Sunday, October 4. Please meet us with your pets on the steps of the church by the 46th Steet entrance.

Evensong & Benediction this Sunday — Our Evensong & Benediction season also kicks off this Sunday, October 4, at 4:00 PM. We offer E&B on the first Sunday of the month throughout the program year. A quartet from the Choir at Saint Mary’s supports us musically. Click here to learn more about Evensong & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Class for Newcomers and Confirmation Preparation — Fr. Sammy will be leading a Companions Class, where newcomers and those preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation accompany each other in their formation. The class is designed to cover the basics of Christianity and our Anglican tradition. The class will meet on Wednesday evenings starting in November. Please contact Fr. Sammy with any questions and to register.

Guild Fair on October 11 — On Sunday, October 11, after Solemn Mass, we will have a Guild Fair during Coffee Hour. There will be representatives from all our guilds to talk about their guilds and answer questions. Come and explore ways to get more involved with the parish!

Town Hall on October 18 — On Sunday, October 18, we will gather after Solemn Mass for our next Town Hall meeting. We periodically host Town Hall meetings as a way to discuss aspects of our common life together as a parish. Save the date and look to an upcoming issue of the newsletter for more details about this gathering.

Neighbors in Need: Winter is coming! — It may not feel as if winter is coming, but it is, and we hope to build up our supply of coats and jackets. If you plan to replace your coat this winter, please bring us your old coat now, still in good condition. Our other most needed items are casual clothes: pants and jeans, jackets, tops and shoes—we always need shoes. Men’s clothes are harder to come by than women’s clothes, especially in sizes 32-36. We don’t need professional clothing or children’s clothing. We would also be happy to talk to you about being a volunteer. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information or email neighbors@stmvnyc.org. The next Drop-by day will be Friday, October 16.

THIS WEEK’S COMMEMORATIONS AT DAILY MASS

Monday, October 5 — Feria
Tuesday, October 6 — William Tyndale, Priest, and Reformation Martyr, 1536
Wednesday, October 7 — Feria
The 12:10 PM liturgy will be a Sung Mass.
Thursday, October 8 — Feria
Friday, October 9 — Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, 1253
Saturday, October 10 — Of Our Lady

Click here for detailed monthly calendars.

MONTHLY LITURGIES AND GATHERINGS

Evensong & Benediction — During the program year, we offer Evensong & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in lieu of Evening Prayer at 4:00 PM on the first Sunday of the month. E&B will next be offered this Sunday, October 4.

Parish Requiem — We offer a monthly Requiem Mass in the Mercy Chapel as part of our chapter of the Guild of All Souls. This Mass is typically celebrated on the third Saturday of the month unless a major feast falls on that day. All are welcome. Our next parish Requiem Mass will be on Saturday, October 17, at 12:10 PM.

Mass and Fellowship with Saint Stephen’s Young Adults — Mass is offered every Wednesday at 6:00 PM in the Lady Chapel. The Saint Stephen’s Guild of young adults attends on the third Wednesday of each month, followed by fellowship. Join them next on October 21.

Rosary Guild — Our Rosary Guild meets in the Lady Chapel after Solemn Mass (and a brief stop at Coffee Hour) on the fourth Sunday of the month to pray the rosary. All are welcome, including those who are curious, but have never prayed the rosary before! The Rosary Guild next meets on Sunday, October 25.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

2026 Hobart Lecture with Rowan Williams — On Wednesday, October 14, the Right Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams will offer the 2026 Hobart Lecture at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue. His lecture begins at 7:00 PM and is titled: “Twenty-Five Years after 9/11: Strangers, Neighbors, and the Work of Solidarity.” Registration is required. The talk will also be livestreamed.

ABOUT THE MUSIC ON THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in F minor, BWV 534, comes to us from an early nineteenth-century copy written by Johann Andreas Dröbs, a student of Johann Christian Kittel who had studied with Bach. This piece, which bears many of the marks of Bach’s earlier organ works, was probably written at Weimar between 1712 and 1717. Both Prelude and Fugue are harmonically conservative and avoid venturing far from the home key. The Prelude, played as Sunday’s Mass prelude, makes extensive use of pedal points, string-like arpeggiation, and sequential manual figures supported by scale-wise bass motion. A brief cadenza near the end is again reminiscent of Vivaldi’s string writing. The Fugue, played as the postlude, begins in a severe mood and rich five-voice texture. Strict fugal development, however, ultimately gives way to increasingly free motivic commentary against which the subject behaves more like a cantus firmus.

The setting of the Mass on Sunday is by Stefano Bernardi (c.1577–1637). Bernardi, musician and priest, was maestro di cappella at the cathedral in Verona, the city of his birth, from 1611 to 1622. In 1624, he became director of court music for Paris von Lodron, Prince-Bishop of Salzburg, where he remained for the next ten years and was active in the musical life of Salzburg Cathedral. Notably, Bernardi composed a Te Deum for twelve choirs, unfortunately now lost, for the Cathedral’s consecration in 1628. During his Salzburg years, Bernardi was ordained to the priesthood, and also received a doctorate in canon and civil law. Bernardi was one of the significant Italian composers standing at the juncture of late Renaissance polyphonic and early Baroque concertato styles. His Missa Praeparate corda vestra takes its inspiration from a responsory which, translated, begins “Prepare your hearts for the Lord and serve Him only” (1 Samuel 7:3). The Mass is compact in its construction and is scored for four voices. Each movement begins with a recognizable common melodic phrase derived from the source motet.

The motet to be sung during the administration of Communion is the second of the Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence by the French pianist and composer Francis Poulenc (1899–1963). The text is the third of the traditional Good Friday responsories (Jeremiah 2:21). The dense textures and contrasting moments of consonant and dissonant harmonies richly illuminate the liturgical text. The set of four motets was composed in 1939, three years after the composer’s return to the Catholic faith following his pilgrimage to western France to visit the Black Virgin. Accordingly, Poulenc’s significant earlier sacred choral compositions begin with his Litanies à la Vierge Noire (1936) and his Mass in G (1937). His later important sacred works include Figure humaine (1943), Stabat Mater (1950), Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël (1952), Gloria (1960), and Sept répons des ténèbres (Seven responsories for Tenebrae, 1962).