Choral Eucharist

The 11am Eucharist is typically the best-attended worship service at Saint Thomas each week. It is at this service that you not only will experience the full power of liturgy, music and preaching at Saint Thomas, but also will have the opportunity to meet many parishioners in the pews. Coffee hour follows the service.

Included during worship are hymns sung by the congregation and choir, additional music sung exclusively by the choir, lessons, prayers, a sermon, and a Rite I Mass. All baptized Christians are welcome to receive Holy Communion. Details of the service may be seen in the leaflet, which is posted at the bottom of this page.

Music notes: Tom√°s Luis de Victoria was born in Avila, Spain in 1548. He began his musical studies as a chorister at Avila Cathedral and moved to Rome in 1565. After taking Holy Orders in 1575, Victoria continued to work as a musician, composer and priest in Rome until he returned to Spain as Chaplain to the Empress Maria in 1587. His work at the Empress’s Monasterio de las Descalzas de S. Clara in Madrid included the role of Maestro de Capilla, and many of the composer’s later masses were written for the choir of boys and priests that he directed there.

The Missa Simile est regnum caelorum derives its material from a motet of the same title by Victoria’s important Spanish contemporary and personal friend, Francisco Guerrero (1528-99). We hear this motet, based on today’s Gospel reading, at the Offertory. Victoria makes compact and effective use of Guerrero’s musical motifs in his Mass setting, particularly at the opening of almost every movement. An especially noteworthy feature, however, is the radiant eight-part Agnus Dei II, in strict quadruple canon.

Listen to John Scott’s Music Notes for the month of September here.

• Choral Services
• Worship Services