Orchestral Festal Eucharist – Pentecost Sunday

Pentecost Sunday, also known as Whit Sunday, marks the coming of the Holy Spirit. It has its roots in the Jewish Feast of Weeks and marks the fiftieth day after Easter.

It is a major feast of the Church’s year and brings to the end the season of Easter. We hope you can join us at this joyous celebration. Refreshments will be served after the service.

Find out more about the service of Choral Eucharist.

Music

The musical setting is Joseph Haydn’s Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida or Heiligmesse which will be performed by our professional St Bride’s Choir and we are delighted to welcome the St Bride’s Orchestra for this special service.

In 1795, Haydn ended his second visit to London with his finances secure following a season of hugely successful concerts. His reputation had preceded him and he was already a very popular composer – his music dominating the London concert scene.

Haydn’s time in London was also some of the happiest of his life. He returned to Vienna and the employment – albeit now part-time – of the Esterházy court of Nikolaus II in what is now called Eisenstadt. Here he wrote six masses for the family.

Left: Joseph Haydn by John Hoppner in England in 1791; Right: Nikolaus II by Martin Knoller in 1793
 

The Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida in B-flat major was written in 1796 and first performed at the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary on 11th September that year.

It was written in honour of Bernard of Offida, a Capuchin friar, who devoted his life to helping the poor and who was later beatified.

Setting: Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida – Joseph Haydn
Sermon: The Revd Canon Dr Alison Joyce, Rector of St Bride’s
Organ Voluntary: tbc

 

Admission

This service is open to all, ticketless and free to attend.

Support St Bride’s

There will be a retiring collection at the end of the service to support the work, ministry and music-making of St Bride’s and help maintain our magnificent Wren church.

St Bride’s is wholly reliant on and deeply grateful for the generous support of our visitors and congregation.

Donations can be made by cash or contactless at church or via JustGiving.

Do please Gift Aid your donation if you are eligible which generates an extra 25p in every £1 donated.

Additional Information

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

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 released on this page and across our social media channels.