A Note from Homer
While visiting a church in Turin, a school child asked his teacher about some of the stained glass windows. “They are pictures of some of the saints”, the teacher responded. “They had a special and strong friendship with Jesus”. A few days later, on the Feast of All Saints, a priest asked the children if they knew how to explain who the saints were and what types of things they had done. The boy who had asked the question rose his hands and confidently replied: “The saints are people who let the Light pass through them.”
The Solemnity of All Saints began in the East in the 4th century, and then spread elsewhere, being observed on different dates: on May 13th in Rome, on November 1st in England and Ireland beginning in the 8th century. It was the latter date that was adopted in Rome as well, beginning in the 9th century. A solemnity in the Catholic church, and one of the seven major feasts in the Anglican tradition, All Saints’ Day falls toward the end of the liturgical year, when the Church fixes its gaze on the last things. Informal celebrations of All Saints’ Day can be traced as early as 270 CE, and at a time when the church was beleaguered with great persecution, a time of remembrance of those who faithfully professed Christ, even to torture and death, must have been a great encouragement. Today, All Saints’ Day recognizes not only those saints and martyrs who led a life as prescribed by The Beatitudes, but serves as a commemoration of all those who have died.
On Friday, November 1st at 12 Noon, The Emmanuel Choir will offer Sir John Rutter’s (b. 1945) Requiem in honor of the Feast of All Saints’ Day as part of the Bach’s Lunch Recital Series. Rutter’s much beloved choral works, and particularly his carol settings, have become standards of the choral repertoire. About his music, the London Evening Standard noted, “For the infectiousness of his melodic invention and consummate craftsmanship, Rutter has few peers.”
In Rutter’s own words: “The Requiem was written in 1985 and dedicated to the memory of my father, who had died the previous year. In writing it, I was influenced and inspired by the example of Fauré. I doubt whether any specific musical resemblances can be traced, but I am sure that Fauré’s Requiem crystallized my thoughts about the kind of Requiem I wanted to write: intimate rather than grandiose, contemplative and lyric rather than dramatic, and ultimately moving towards light rather than darkness – the “lux aeterna” of the closing text.”
Requiem consists of seven movements, utilizing texts from Psalm 130, Psalm 23, sections of the Missa pro Defunctis, and the Book of Common Prayer.
Requiem will be performed in the ensemble version. In addition to the choir of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, guest musicians include Stephen Gourley, organ, Bonnie Bach, harp, Paul Kirkpatrick, cello, Kelly Shea, flute, Taiki Azuma, oboe, Wayne Osborne, timpani, and Heather Magruder, glockenspiel. Choristers Ella Ferguson and Eva Ferguson will sing the soprano solos in the Pie Jesu and Lux Aeterna movements. Dr. Homer Ashton Ferguson III will conduct.
All are welcome and a $10 donation is suggested for attendees. Students of any age are free. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Association of Anglican Musicians Disaster Relief Fund. Those funds will assist the music ministries of the 28 parishes in the Diocese of Western North Carolina damaged by Hurricane Helene.
Dr. Homer A. Ferguson, III
Organist/Choirmaster