Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bart's Begins 6/21

The 21st annual Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bartholomew's Church begins on Sunday, June 21 at 11 am with a performance of Josef Gabriel Rheinberger's Cantus Missae, Op. 109 for double choir.

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (1839-1901) was a German organist and composer, born in Lichtenstein. At an early age, Rheinberger showed extraordinary musical ability. At age seven, he served as organist for his parish church in Vaduz. At the age of 12, he entered the Munich Conservatory, where he eventually became Professor of Piano and Composition. An influential teacher, he numbered among his pupils the German composers Engelbert Humperdinck and Wilhelm Furtwängler (also, well known as a conductor) and the American composers Horatio Parker, William Berwald and George Chadwick. Rheinberger was also a prolific composer. His sacred works include twelve Masses, a Requiem and a Stabat Mater. His substantial compositions for organ include 20 Sonatas, 22 trios, 12 Meditations and 24 fughettos. His Cantus Missae, Op. 109 was composed in 1878 and first performed by the Royal Court Choir in Munich, where Rheinberger was Kapellmeister. It is scored for an unaccompanied double choir of mixed voices in eight parts. It possesses unparalleled maturity within the great German Romantic choral tradition from a composer whose works have been compared to that of Felix Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms.

St. Bartholomew's Choir will be conducted by William K. Trafka.

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place each Sunday morning at 11 am 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 Eucharist or Mass, 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. Bartholomew's Church at the corner of Park Avenue and 51st Street. Subway: 6 to 51st Street. For more information, call (212) 378-0222 or visit http://www.stbarts.org/music/summer-festival-of-sacred-music/for the complete schedule.

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