St. Peter’s Parish Church, Tuesday 30 April 2024 at 9pm
The Cantabile group will be singing the evening service of Compline (Night Prayer) for the first time in the wonderful space of St. Peter’s Parish Church. The choir’s previous performances of this magical candlelit service – held in the chapel of Rosel Manor, St Peter La Rocque, St Lawrence Parish Church and Grouville Parish Church – have been highlights for congregations and singers alike.
Compline is the final service (or Office) of the day in the monastic tradition and a similar service also exists within the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran liturgies.
In many monasteries it is the custom, after the conclusion of Compline, to hold a ‘Great Silence’ until the first service on the following day. No such requirement will be demanded of the congregation on this occasion, however!
Beautiful Gregorian plainchant lies at the heart of the service. Contrasting with this, we add some richly-textured choral music from the Renaissance – the Kyrie from the Missa O quam gloriosum by the Spanish composer, Tomás Luis de Victoria (c. 1548-1611) and reposeful settings by English composers Thomas Tallis (c.1505-85) and William Byrd (1539/40-1623), including Byrd’s striking anthem Prevent us, O Lord, which was sung at King Charles’ Coronation in Westminster Abbey.
The service lasts just over half-an-hour and should form a perfect end to the day.
In pace, in idipsum dormiam et requiescam… In very peace will I lie down and take my rest…
