Choral Eucharist

Above: The Prayer of Humble Access in a copy of the Scottish Episcopal Prayer Book of 1637. We say this prayer to this day at Choral Eucharist (see the link to the service card at the bottom of this page). Today’s Gospel reading gives us insight into two of the sentences in this prayer: “We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy.” Notice also the words of the Collect of the Day.

Today marks the return of our choristers, who began a new year at the Choir School last week. The full Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, under the direction of John Scott, sing not only today at 11am, but also at Choral Evensong today at 4pm, as well as at Choral Evensong on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 5:30pm.

Included in this Choral Eucharist 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, where you will also find links to the webcast during and after the service.

‚ñ∫Please join the Saint Thomas Youth after church today at 12:45 p.m. in Andrew Hall for a presentation by the Saint Thomas Youth on their recent mission trip to the Convent of the Sisters of Saint Mary.

‚ñ∫If you have not yet read it, here’s the September Rector’s Chronicle.

Music Notes: Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) was born in Dublin and studied at Cambridge where he was appointed Organist of Trinity College in 1873 and took a third-class honours degree in Classics in 1874. Whilst working in Cambridge, Stanford spent time studying in Germany where he met Liszt, Brahms, Wagner and others. In 1883 he became Professor of Composition at the Royal College of Music and in 1887 he was appointed Professor of Music at Cambridge. A significant and influential figure in academic music, Stanford’s numerous contributions to church music have become some of the best-loved and most well-known of all the works in the repertoire. His ashes are buried next to those of Purcell in Westminster Abbey. The Communion Service in C & F was written in 1909 and is a short, syllabic setting of the text, characterized by a warm harmonic texture and a touching simplicity.

• Choral Services
• Worship Services