Media Vita: Sacred Music for Lent

This evening the St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum held its annual fund-raising concert featuring music appropriate to the Lenten season. The chant Media Vita of Notker of St. Gallen (also sung in a Sarum variant) introduced Gombert’s Missa Media Vita. There followed other works in both chant and polypony including the tragic Ne irascaris Domine of Byrd and In Jejunio et Fletu of Tallis – both of which were created in the time of dire persecution of English Catholics. The St. Mary’s Schola under David Hughes’ direction has reached a level of rare perfection in both chant and sacred polyphony. Those wishing to experience this music or who desire to hear more should attend the 9:30 Solemn Traditional mass at St. Mary’s each Sunday!

Mary Rose Garych