Summer Festival of Sacred Music Continues with Schubert's Messe Today

The 19th annual Summer Festival continues today, July 28 at 11 a.m. with a performance of Franz Schubert's Messe in C, D. 452 for choir, soloists and orchestra.

Between 1814 and 1816, Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) composed four Masses for choir and orchestra for his parish church in the Viennese suburb of Lichtental. His Messe in C, D. 452, his fourth mass, was composed for this church in 1816, when Schubert was nineteen years old. His Messe in C was published nine years later in 1825, most likely for a performance in the church of St. Ulrich in Vienna, a much larger building than Schubert's tiny parish church. For this publication, Schubert expanded the orchestration from the original string trio to include 2 oboes, 2 trumpets and tympani. It is certainly the most mature of his early masses and heralds the richness of melody and sonority indicative of his later style.

St. Bartholomew's Choir will be accompanied by an orchestra of period instruments.

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place each Sunday morning at 11 a.m. at St. Bartholomew's Church during the summer months. At a time when most churches reduce their musical offerings, St. Bartholomew's Church provides outstanding sacred music sung by St. Bartholomew's Choir and Boy and Girl Choristers, two of New York City's most renowned choirs. Works include an array of mass settings from the 15th century to the present embracing a diversity of cultures from around the world. The music is sung as part of the 11 am service, the liturgical context for which it was composed. All Summer Festival events are free and open to the public.

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place at St. Bart's, located at the corner of Park Avenue and 51st Street. Subway: 6 to 51st Street. For more information, call (212) 378-0222 or
visit their website for the complete schedule.