Choral Eucharist – Harvest Thanksgiving

All are welcome to attend this service of Holy Communion at the heart of our community’s weekly cycle of worship.

This week we celebrate Harvest Festival – our annual service of thanksgiving for the bounty of the earth, giving thanks to those who grow our food and also raising awareness of the issues of climate change and sustainability.

Music at the service

The music is performed by our professional St Bride’s Choir and we are delighted to welcome back St Bride’s Orchestra who will accompany them in a liturgical performance of Schubert’s Mass in G conducted by Matthew Morley.

Franz Schubert composed his second Mass in less than a week in early March 1815 at the age of eighteen. It remains one of his most celebrated settings.

 

The Mass was originally scored for strings and organ only. Later revisions by Schubert and his brother Ferdinand added instruments and give a grander orchestration, yet the intimate and devotional quality remain.

This is also reflected in the simple yet expressive writing for the vocal soloists. Except, that is, for the soprano solo which was written for Therese Grob, whom Schubert adored, and is clearly a showcase for her vocal talents.

The work ends with a warm and tender setting of the Agnus Dei. Its mournful melodies demonstrate the young Schubert’s considerable musical maturity.

Online Worship

Each Sunday morning at 11am we release a specially created short reflection in words and music for those who cannot make it to church. It will be posted on this page and across our social media channels.

Additional Information

Directions to St Bride’s Church and information about accessibility are available on our Visit Us page.