For the Director of Music Archives

Where is the Lost Music of the Psalms?

November 8, 2024May 23, 2022 by David Mitchell

WHERE IS THE LOST MUSIC OF THE PSALMS?

YEARS AGO, I sat at my desk reading my Hebrew Bible. Then I fell into a deep reverie, wondering where the lost music of the Psalms had gone and how I could find it. I asked myself, “Who would know this? Could the secret be with some rabbi or cantor in Yemen or Bukhara? Or is it buried in a cave somewhere, waiting to be found, like the Dead Sea Scrolls? Or is it just lost for ever?”

Little did I know that the lost music of the Psalms was lying right there, in front of my eyes…

The Prince Albert Te Deum

July 4, 2022January 13, 2022 by David Mitchell

THE PRINCE ALBERT Te Deum is a nineteenth-century Anglican choral mini-masterpiece which deserves to be better known. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819-1861) was, as you may know, the husband of Queen Victoria. Less well-known, though, is that he was also a fine Christian man and a generally multi-talented bloke. His was the genius that drove the Great London Exhibition of 1851, which led to the building of the Crystal Palace and many other London landmarks. And his remarkable talents extended into music.

The Saint Matthew Passion of J.S. Bach

January 19, 2021December 3, 2020 by David Mitchell

Statue of J.S. Bach at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig

Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion is one of the greatest monuments of Christian and European sacred music. In Holy Trinity, we perform it, or its sister work, Bach’s Saint John Passion, every year. But the Saint Matthew Passion was a flower that bloomed in a particular place at a particular time. And a little knowledge about its background and its native soil will help us to appreciate it better.

The Story of Silent Night

November 8, 2024November 30, 2020 by David Mitchell

I’ll begin the story of Silent Night with a happy reminiscence. Recently, a Viennese friend sent us a Christmas card. We had visited him in Vienna the summer before, and had Kaffee und Kuchen together, as he showed us all round his wonderful city. His Christmas card had a stamp showing a picture of a manger scene, with the words “200 years: Silent Night” (200 Jahre: Stille Nacht). But it’s not the only Austrian stamp like this, as we’ll see in a moment. In fact, the Austrians are immensely proud of this Christmas carol. And rightly so. Lots of folk would say that it is the greatest Christmas carol of all. It is certainly the best known. So I’ll talk about it here, and illustrate its story here in Austrian stamps.

The Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic

May 8, 2024June 10, 2020 by David Mitchell

THE LORD’S PRAYER IN ARAMAIC

JESUS originally taught the Lord’s prayer in Aramaic. But how did that sound? Can we learn to say it in Aramaic too? Or sing it according to its melody sung in the churches of the east? You can read all about it here…

The Saint John Passion of J.S. Bach

January 19, 2021February 20, 2020 by David Mitchell

IN HOLY TRINITY, We sing Bach’s Saint John Passion (Johannes-Passion) every other Good Friday, alternating it with Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion. Bach wrote the Saint John Passion over the winter of 1723-1724, and it was first performed in Leipzig’s Nikolaikirche on Good Friday 1724.

Best-Ever Christmas Carols

June 10, 2020February 4, 2020 by David Mitchell

Every year, all through the world—from Oslo to Cape Town, from L.A. to Beijing— hundreds of thousands of Christmas Carol services take place. Yet not one of them happens by accident. Behind every one there is a guiding star, someone with the will and the savvy and the energy to draw up a plan, assemble the musicians, and make it happen, someone who works hard to put on best-ever Christmas carols.

Dress code for everyone is smart-casual in black, white, and dark-grey.

You can read about the story of Handel and his great Messiah here. For all other details of rehearsals for Candlemas Messiah, read on below.