Palm Sunday at Mary Mag’s!

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(Ch.Koechlin)

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Recently I had a chance to provide prelude music for a service at The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, and here is a sampling of the music from their Palm Sunday celebration.

I continue to have only praises to sing about this wonderful, historic church and its warm, welcoming congregation…the rich musical history and superb acoustics are only the tip of the iceberg!

Suffice to say that I’m finding my faith with the flute, although this High Anglican Service had the humility and accessibility of what I know through the United Church, along with the ritual, mysticism and compassion – and incence, lots of it! – of a Tibetan Ceremony.

During the service one’s modern self yields to individual reflection – even wonderment – and a feeling of a shared celebration of community – a simpler, slower pace and sense of place in the world emerged for me, especially at Mary Magdalene: so stark and alive with it’s tradition, history and passion for community outreach.

Here are a few musical samples from one of MMC’s longer services of the year – 2 1/2 + hours – the Solemn Mass celebrating Palm Sunday, including Solo Flute Prelude, exquisite Choral Singing, as well as an incredible Organ Postlude by Messaien:

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(J.S.Bach)

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(William Byrd)

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(Olivier Messaien)

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Apparition de l’Église Éternelle (Vision of the Eternal Church)

Written in 1932, shortly after Messiaen became Titulaireat Ste. Trinité, Apparitionis driven by the way the harmony seems to dictate its repetitious rhythmic scheme. The chords of greatest harmonic tension are of the shortest duration. The use of open fourths and fifths lends an ancient character to the music, which in its density seems to bespeak the powerful monolithic medieval French cathedrals. As the work builds up to full reeds, the rhythmic propulsion creates a great sense of unity; this may reflect the unity of the Eternal Church. It is not surprising that Messiaen would choose harmonies that are both backward looking and forward looking, as this is precisely what the Eternal Church aims to do—encompass people of all generations. “Chisel and hammer, sufferings, and trials, cut and polish the elect—living stones of the spiritual edifice (expressed by the incessant pulsation of the bass). Established slowly, it will take a long time to disappear . . .” Messiaen, from Livre d’Orgue

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