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Winter Solstice concert and 2022 programs
On Friday, December 17, this year’s Winter Solstice Concert will feature settings by living composers of the Great “O” Antiphons. These seven short texts were traditionally sung, beginning at least as early as the eighth century, to Gregorian chant before and after the Magnificat at the evening service of Vespers. Beginning December 17, one antiphon was sung each night leading up to Christmas Eve.
The responses by contemporary composers to these ancient texts and melodies are reminders of how deeply meaningful and beautiful they still are for our lives today. Each antiphon begins with a different address to God from the prophetic texts of Isaiah: “O sapientia (O Wisdom),” “O Adonai (O Lord),” “O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse),” “O Clavis David (O Key of David),” “O Oriens (O Morning Star),” “O Rex Gentium (O King of the nations),” “O Emmanuel.” The first letters of each of these Latin names form the mnemonic “sarcore,” which, in reverse order, spells “ero cras,” meaning “Tomorrow, I come.” The symbolism of the retrograde acrostic subverts our earthly, linear flow of time and our perception of Christ’s arrival in our lives in a singular moment, and instead seeks to reveal the far greater truth of God’s salvation at work in our lives at all times.
The original Gregorian antiphons were themselves a recognition and celebration of how this truth seemed to have already manifested in the Old Testament, and compositions by contemporary composers add further layers to the richness of this centuries-old ritual. The oldest of the composers represented in this year’s concert, the Estonian Arvo Pärt (b. 1935), composed his settings of the antiphons in a highly personal style that was developed during years of meditation, reflection, and study of medieval and Renaissance music. Pärt also converted to the Russian Orthodox Church during this time, and his style, which has come to be known as tintinnabuli, meaning “bells,” was in part a response to the use of bells in the Orthodox liturgy. A personal form of minimalism, Pärt’s music is harmonically static, meditating on only one or two chords, which has prompted the characterization of his compositions as “icons in music.”
In contrast to the music of Pärt, which the composer himself described as white light for which the listener must function as a prism to divide it into separate colors, the music of Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951), whose setting of O Oriens is included in this year’s program, contains a full spectrum of harmonic color. McDowall’s composition represents an entirely different, mystical reception of the ancient text, one that reflects the tradition of centuries of worship in cathedrals suffused by the light of stained-glass windows. This style is a perfect complement to her chosen text: “O Morning Star, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness: come and enlighten those that dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
We also look forward to an organ recital on January 21 by Dexter Kennedy, winner of the Grand Prix de Chartes. Dexter will present the first of three offerings in 2022 celebrating the legacy and 200th birthday of César Franck, which will include the complete organ works of Franck.
The second of these will be the return of our annual Masterworks concert on February 18, featuring two major works for choir, organ, and orchestra by two composers of the generation that succeeded Franck: Louis Vierne’s Messe solennelle and Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, as well as Franck’s own beloved Prelude, Fugue, et Variation for solo organ.
By Brent te Velde
UPCOMING MUSIC PROGRAMS For ticketed programs, visit ststephensRVA.org/concerts to reserve a ticket.
Friday, December 17, 2021 at 7 p.m.:
Winter Solstice Concert (ticketed) Candlelit, a cappella concert featuring the Great “O” Antiphons
Friday, January 21, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.:
Organ recital by Dexter Kennedy (freewill offering) Internationally acclaimed organist Dexter Kennedy presents the first installment of a presentation of Franck’s complete works for organ.
Friday, February 18, 2022 at 7 p.m.: Masterworks Concert (ticketed) St. Stephen’s choirs perform two largescale works for choir and organ or orchestra, the Messe solennelle of Louis Vierne and the Requiem of Gabriel Fauré
Friday, May 20, 2022 at 7 p.m.: Organ recital by Brent te Velde (freewill offering) The final installment in our presentation of Franck’s complete works for organ, presented by our own director of music, Brent te Velde
