St. Mary’s Church Norwalk Midnight Mass to Feature Mozart

From last year’s midnight Mass

If you haven’t been to Christmas Solemn Midnight Mass at St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk, this might be the time to start going. Plans are in the works for the St. Mary Schola Cantorum to sing Mozart’s Mass in C Major (K. 258, “Piccolomini”). The choir, under the direction of David Hughes will be joined by a string orchestra. Elizabeth Weaver will sing the Laudate Dominum from Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339.

There will also be a Solemn Mass for Christmas Day at 9:30 am featuring Victoria’s Missa O Magnum Mysterium.

There is plenty of parking in the church lot behind the church and in a large bank lot across the street.

Here is a full schedule:

Christmas Eve:
11 pm Rosary by the creche
11:20 pm Orchestral Prelude: Christmas Concerto (Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8) (Arcangelo Corelli, 1683-1713)
11:30 pm Christmas Carols
Carol: What Child Is This (Greensleves)
Carol: O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël)
Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem (St. Louis)
Carol: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Carol: Tu scendi dalle stelle (St. Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori, 1696-1787)
Carol: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (Es is ein’ Ros’ entsprungen)
Carol: De Virgine Maria (Carl Rütti, b.1949)
Carol: Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
Prelude: Desseins éternels (from La Nativité du Seigneur) (Olivier Messiaen, 1908-1992)
The Solemn Proclamation of Christmas
Hymn at the Procession: Adeste Fideles (John Francis Wade, arr. David Willcocks, 1919-2015)
Hymn at the Procession: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Mendelssohn, arr. Willcocks)
12:00 Solemn Midnight Mass
Mass in C Major (K. 258, “Piccolomini”) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791)
Gregorian Mass of Christmas Midnight: Dominus dixit
Motet at the Offertory: Laudate Dominum (from Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339) (Mozart)
Motet at the Communion: Verbum caro factum est (John Sheppard, c.1515-1558)
Postlude: In dulci jubilo (BWV 729) Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
Postlude: Fugue in A Major (BWV 536/2) (Bach)
Christmas Day, 9:30 am, Solemn Mass
Prelude: Puer natus in Bethlehem (BWV 603) (Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
Hymn at the Procession: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles, arr. David Willcocks, 1919-2015)
Missa O magnum mysterium (Tomás Luis de Victoria, 1548-1611)
Gregorian Mass of Christmas Day: Puer natus est
Gradual: Viderunt omnes (Pérotin, fl. c. 1200)
Motet at the Offertory: Verbum caro factum est (John Sheppard, c.1515-1558)
Motet at the Communion: O magnum mysterium (Victoria)
Postlude: In dulci jubilo (BWV 729) Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
Postlude: Fugue in A Major (BWV 536/2) (Bach)