Special Concert Series
We are happy to be able to offer a series of special concerts and events outside of the usual round of Masses and Evensongs sung by the Saint Mark's Parish Choir. We hope you will join us and invite friends to come to this great offering of splendid early music performances, a unique experience in the Philadelphia Region..
Saint Mark's Episcopal Church "Musikalische Exequien" - Heinrich Schütz Hugo Distler, writing in the early 20th Century, found great inspiration in the music of the Renaissance and the Baroque periods. Much of his work was written during a period of great violence and unrest in Europe. He became a casualty of the Third Reich during World War II. His "Dance of Death," written towards the end of his life, is a semi-dramatic work for narrator and chorus based on 14 Medieval images found in the famous "Dance of Death" windows in St. Mary's Church, Lübeck. Both works offer affirmation of life in the face of mourning, as well as meditations on the fleeting nature of existence and the fragility of this world.In Memoriam
Friday, November 11th, 2011 at 8pm
1625 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (16th and Locust Streets) [Directions]BUY TICKETS
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"Totentanz" - Hugo Distler
Jehan Alain 100th Anniversary Concert A student of the legendary Kevin Bowyer in Manchester, and Jacques van Oortmerssen in Amsterdam, Tom Bell graduated with first class honours from the Royal Northern College of Music in 2006. His studies were supported by prestigious scholarships awarded by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, the Royal College of Organists, the Countess of Muster Musical Trust and the Michael James Music Trust. During his studies he held organ and choral scholarships at both Ripon and Manchester Cathedrals. Tom has performed widely as a soloist in the UK, playing at many Cathedrals, festivals and other concert venues, as well as visiting Scandinavia and Southern Europe. In 2009 he broadcast a live recital from The Temple Church in London for Dutch radio, and in 2012 he will be releasing two CDs. Tom aims to present varied programmes, and besides performing a wide array established repertoire is also committed to commissioning new works. As a freelance organ teacher, Tom teaches approximately thirty students of varying age and ability for the Royal College of Organists St.Giles Organ School, teaches occasionally at Conservatoire level and regularly tutors on residential courses for the RCO, Royal School of Church Music and Oundle for Organists. In 2011 he taught on the London Organ Improvisation Course for the first time. Tom sometimes gives lectures, talks and classes for other organisations, often exploding myths and exploring contemporary organ music, and writes occasionally too. He has yet to be asked to pen an article about steam locomotives - his other love – but lives in hope. Tom is increasingly involved with education and outreach projects designed to educate both children and adults about the organ. He is organist to the exciting EtonOrganworks project at Eton College and also coordinates the Wimbledon Organ Project, based around the Heritage Lottery-funded restoration of the historic organ of Sacred Heart church in Wimbledon. He has also worked on HLF projects in Southall and the City of London. He is currently playing a leading role in developing a scheme in Newcastle, inspired by the remarkable organ of the City Hall and the likely installation of new instruments in both Newcastle Cathedral and at the University. Other future projects will hopefully take him to Westminster, Manchester and Edinburgh. From 2007 until 2011 Tom was Director of Music to the Parish of Esher, and is now Organist and Choir Master at St. Michael's Chester Square in London’s vibrant West End. When not playing the organ or chasing steam locomotives, he enjoys a good pub and climbing hills.
Friday, November 18th, 8pm
Admission: $20 regular $10 students and seniors.
Mr Tom Bell, Organist (London)
The Saint Mark's Choir - Matthew Glandorf, conductor
Program will include Litanies, Premiere Fantaisie, Deuxieme Fantaisie,
Fantasmagorie, Aria and Trois Danses along with his Requiem Mass
and Postlude for the Office of Compline.
BACH FESTIVAL WEEKEND
Saint Mark's Church, 16th and Locust Streets
Friday, March 30th 7pm"
The Musical Offering" performed by members of Philadelphia Bach Collegium
The origin of Bach's masterpiece "The Musical Offering" lies in a visit to Frederick the Great of Prussia in the year 1747 when the great monarch gave him the challenge to improvise a Fugue, first for 3 then for 6 voices on what is now known as the "Royal Theme". Some time later, Bach sent Frederick the score of a collection of works based upon this theme comprising of
2 Ricercari for 3 and 6 voices, 10 canons and a Trio Sonata for Flute, Violin and Continuo.
The Philadelphia Bach Collegium will present this masterwork in its entirety arranged for six players. Scores will be provided for the audience to follow along with the performance of some of Bach's most complex and enigmatic music!
Saturday, March 31st 7pm
"The Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes"
Performed by the organ studio of the Curtis Institute of Music.
The Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, BWV 651–668, are a set of chorale preludes for organ prepared by Johann Sebastian Bach inLeipzig in his final decade 1740-1750, from earlier works composed in Weimar, where he was court organist. The works form an encyclopedic collection of large scale chorale preludes, in a variety of styles harking back to the previous century, that Bach gradually perfected during his career. Together with the Orgelbüchlein, the Schübler Chorales and the third book of the Clavier-Übung, they represent the summit of Bach's sacred music for solo organ
St. John Passion
Sunday, April 1st, 2012 at 3pm
Saint Mark's Episcopal Church
1625 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (16th and Locust Streets) [Directions]
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“St. John Passion” – J.S. Bach
Co-presented and performed by Choral Arts Philadelphia
Aaron Sheehan - Tenor (Evangelist)
Sumner Thompson - Bass
According to Robert Schumann, The St. John Passion stands out as his greatest choral and orchestral
works in the Western musical tradition. It has extraordinary dramatic content, choral writing and is more “unbridled” immediate in its expression and style. Our production will feature an exciting lineup of soloists, the Philadelphia Bach Collegium, and a choir of forty singers from Choral Arts, accompanied by an orchestra of period instruments. This promises to be the choral event of the Season!
Entertainments Sacred and Profane
Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at 8pm
Saint Mark's Episcopal Church
1625 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (16th and Locust Streets) [Directions
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“Jephte” and “Jonas” – Giacomo Carissimi
“Chanukkah Cantata” – David Ludwig
In the 17th Century it was customary to close opera houses and theaters during Lent. To compensate for this loss of valuable diversions for the public, churches came up with an alternative form of "entertainment," the Oratorio. These pieces of music-theatre were usually based on biblical narratives of the Old Testament and treated with a theatrical flair and format. On April 28th Choral Arts will perform two of Giacomo Carissimi's masterpieces "Jephte" and "Jonas" in concert with the story of Judas Maccabaeus in David' Ludwig's contemporary take on the oratorio, the "Chanukkah Cantata" commissioned by Choral Arts in 2006.