BBC’s Choral Vespers from the London Oratory

Andrew Leung · February 4, 2016

JUST DISCOVERED a program on BBC Radio 3 called, Choral Evensong. The program brings you evensong services from different churches in the Great Britain. The choral Vespers at the London Oratory is currently featured on their website. You can listen to the beautiful service filled with angelic music here now. The recording will be available until February 21.

The Solemn Vespers according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated every Sunday at 3:30pm at the Brompton Oratory. The service is concluded by a Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction.

Older recordings of the Sung Vespers at the London Oratory and recordings of choral evensongs from other churches can also be found on this Youtube channel. Here is one of the older recordings:

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

“Tonus Solemnior” • How old is it?

In the 1962 Missal, a section called “præfationes in tono solemniore” contains ornate melodies for the Preface. An article posted on the blog of the Church Music Association of America claims the tone comes from “the late 19th century” and said its elimination “is one of the very few good things which the post-Conciliar reform did for Gregorian chant.” The author said: “The Roman solemn preface tone is already beautiful enough, there was no need to give a more Romantic feel.”

Some have asked us whether the tonus solemnior comes from “the late 19th century.” It does not. Their author was wrong by at least 400 years. I have seen this tone in MSS from the 1400s—and it may go back even further. Here is an example from 1494AD. And here’s another from the 1400s. The FSSP priests use these tones on high feasts, and the effect is unforgettable.

—Jeff Ostrowski

6 January 2022 • Quick!

A short version of the INTROIT for the feast of the Epiphany has been added to the Saint René Goupil Gregorian Chant Website.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Confusing Feasts of Christmas

Whether one considers the Missale Vetustum or the post-conciliar calendar—or even the 1908 calendar—the feasts which follow Christmas are very confusing. Last year I created this comparison chart. I hope you find it helpful. As far as I can tell, my chart is the first effort to carefully detail the changes made to post-Christmas feasts (unless we also count the rather basic one by Lauren Pristas).

—Jeff Ostrowski

Subscribe to the CCW Mailing List

About Andrew Leung