Consists of the following tracks:
Track 1-3 = Missa Brevis #1 in E Flat, H. Willan
Track 4-15 = The Latin High Mass
Track 16 = Sacerdotes Domini, W. Byrd
Track 17 = Magnigicat Anima Mea, P.Paul
As noted below, this presentation was performed in 1999
Our glorious church provides worshipers with a place of refuge from the bustle of the city. Unfortunately, the outside word is always ready to slip in through doors left ajar or thin stained glass windows. A truck roaring by, noisy construction equipment and even the occasional thunderstorm remind us that we cannot completely leave these distractions behind.
Recording sessions for this disc took place in June, July and August of 1999. Our late night singing was plagued with intense heat, noisy traffic and a thunderstorm to make our Creator proud. So…there are ”noises” n this recording. We certainly could have found a quieter place to record in, but we would have lost that “bloom” that distinguishes Old St. Mary’s from so many of her less gifted sisters.
Listen carefully for the rolls of thunder that punctuate the final Magnificat on this recording. I like to think that God chose to make himself heard above the traffic and contraction in this ancient song of praise.
MISSA BREVIS, the name of this recording is a term used by composers over the centuries to designate a type of musical setting of the text of the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie eleison, Sanctus, Benedictus & Agnus Dei). While it has, in each musical period, had a slightly different connotation, its literal meaning of “short mass” implies use at services of a simpler nature …a “regular” Sunday mass perhaps.