Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from “The Irish Times”
24 December 2011
Gloria
It seems to be more and more the case that people approach Christmas through the medium of music whether via Christmas FM on the radio, familiar hymns and carols in church or through the sublime settings of seasonal texts which are increasinly the preserve of cathedral choirs and specialist ensembles. For over a decade Tim Thurston has been bringing sacred music to the listeners of Lyric FM on his weekly programme, Gloria, originally on Saturday evenings and now on Sunday mornings. Now both his words and choice of music are available in book form. Gloria. An Introduction to 1000 Years of European Sacred Music has been published by Associated Editions and includes a CD with 21 tracks with an Advent and Christmas theme from the Hyperion music label.
Like his radio programme, Tim Thurston’s book is arranged chronologically, and so there is music from the age of chant, the period of renaissance polyphony, the baroque and classical ages, the romantic movement and from the 20th century. There are short discussions of each of these sections and pen portraits of the stellar cast of composers featured on the CD among whom are Hildegard of Bingen, Palestrina, Byrd, Monteverdi, Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn, Bruckner and Part. And if the music is of the highest standard so too are the performances from such as the choirs of Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral and St John’s College, Cambridge, Gothic Voices, Polyphony and the King’s Consort.
In addition, this is a beautifully illustrated book with images of sacred art from or associated with Irish collections – a 13th century stained glass panel of an angel blowing a trumpet from the Hunt Museum, the Virgin and Child from the Book of Kells, the nativity scene from the Waterford Magi cope, and, most appropriately, on the cover the miniature of monks singing at a lectern from the Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, psalter, now in the Bodleian Library.
Gloria is available through the bookshops while Tim Thurston can be heard introducing the Christmas morning edition of ‘Gloria’ at 8am.
Today (Saturday) is the final opportunity to contribute to the ‘Black Santa’ charity sitouts at St Anne’ Cathedral, Belfast and St Ann’s Church, Dublin. This evening the Archbishop of Dublin will preside at the Christmas Eve Carol Service in St Patrick’s Cathedral admission to which is by ticket. At 11pm he will celebrate the first Eucharist of Christmas in Christ Church Cathedral and on Christmas Day he will, as is customary for the bishops, preach in his diocesan cathedral. On Christmas Eve the celebrant and preacher in St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, will be the Bishop of Cashel & Ossory who will preach in St Edan’s Cathedral, Ferns on Christmas morning.. The Bishop of Cork will preach at the Festival Eucharist on Christmas Day in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral after which he and Bishop Buckley will visit the St Vincent de Paul Hostel for Christmas lunch.
Mrs Lynn Glanville has recently been appointed and has taken up the position of Diocesan Communications Officer for the Diocese of Dublin & Glendalough. Lynn comes from Wicklow where she previously worked for 10 years as a journalist with local newspapers, the Wicklow People and the Wicklow News. Prior to that she worked in the print and radio media in Mayo, Westmeath and Offaly. She was awarded a BA (Hons) degree in Psychology and Philosophy at Bolton Institute in the UK and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies by Newman College in Dublin.