March 16, 2024

The St. Paul A Cappella Choir will perform their annual Holy Week Concert on the afternoon of Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024, at 4:00 PM, in the historic 19th century chapel at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 416 SE Grand Avenue in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Admission for the one-hour concert is free and the public is invited. A wine and cookie reception will follow the performance, presented by the Friends of St. Paul’s Music.

The St. Paul A Cappella Choir is an ensemble of the Music Ministry of St. Paul’s Church specializing in unaccompanied works from Renaissance to Contemporary, along with music of the early American experience. It is comprised of 15 mostly professional singers chosen by competitive audition. Established in 2020, the ensemble is heard regularly in the liturgies at the church and in special concert performances. Recent public events have included the “1605 Requiem” of Thomas Luis da Victoria, and a concert of Colonial and 19th century American music in celebration Independence Day.

During the reign of Pope Urban VIII, most likely in the 1630s, a lesser known priest and composer, Gregorio Allegri, 1582-1652, composed a setting of Psalm 51 for the exclusive use of the choir of the Sistine Chapel during Holy Week. Though Allegri was a pioneer in writing music for string quartets, the only work he is remembered for today is the famous double choir setting of Psalm 51 called “Miserere Mei.”

For over a hundred years the work was known only in secrecy, being performed exclusively by the Papal Choir in the Vatican. Over the past three centuries however, it has become known in various forms and editions, resulting by the early 20th century in the present version for two choirs that includes a series of famous high C notes for the soprano.

The most well known composer of the Italian Renaissance is Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, c1525-1594. Indeed, Palestrina is considered by music historians to be the most consequential composer of the 16th century. His innovations of musical polyphony laid the foundation of sacred music for every composer who came after him, especially Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750.

The St. Paul A Cappella Choir will sing Palestrina’s tender and expressive setting of the “Stabat Mater” for two choirs, thought to have been composed for Pope Gregory XIV in the later years of Palestrina’s life and demonstrating the height of his compositional powers. The 20-verse work is more homophonic, or hymn-like, than contrapuntal.

The Stabat Mater is a 13-century hymn that portrays the sufferings and grief of Mary during the crucifixion of Jesus. It is thought that the author could have been Pope Innocent III, 1161-1216, or a Franciscan friar Jacopone da Todi, 1230-1306. The title, “Stabat Mater,” means “the sorrowful mother was standing before the cross.”

The concert will also include the “Good Friday Anthems” in a chant setting for choir and cello by American Episcopal composer Russell Schulz-Widmar, born 1944, and “Funeral Ikos” by British composer John Tavener, 1944-2013. The Funeral Ikos is a passionate setting of lines from the burial service for priests in the Greek Orthodox tradition.

The Reverend Deacon Alisa Carmichael, principal organist for the St. Paul’s Church since February 2023, will play organ works interspersed with the choral selections. These will include two by Johann Sebastian Bach: “Christ lag in todesbanden” and “Herzlich tut mich verlangen,” Samuel Scheidt: “Aus tiefer Not schrei’ ich zu dir,” and Helmut Walcha: “Herzliebster Jesu, was hast Du verbrochen.”

From its creation the St. Paul A Cappella Choir has specialized in ambitious repertoire in the service of its mission to bring a diversity and depth of profound sacred music to the Lee’s Summit community.

“I will be completely honest,” says William Baker, Music Director for St. Paul’s Church, “This is not the sort of program one would hear from many church choirs. We are blessed at St. Paul’s to have exceptionally talented and professional choir members who have accepted the challenge of some of the greatest music in all of history. I am humbled by their commitment and their accomplishments, and I am inspired by a church leadership that supports consequential programs like our Holy Week Concert, offered for our wider community. I hope many people who are seeking consolation and hope during this holy season will attend this program. This music is unforgettable in its beauty and power.”

For information about the Holy Week Concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, email [email protected] or call 816-524-3651 or visit www.StPaulsLS.org.