Welcome to the 2009-2010 Season of Great Music at Saint James'
International Laureates Organ Series
For the past fourteen years we have been honored to host many of the most distinguished organists from throughout the world. This season we welcome American organists Stephen Tharp, Martin Jean, Christopher Houlihan and Frederick Swann, as well as British organists David Briggs and William Whitehead.
In addition, we are pleased to present our Assistant Organist Paul Meier, a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at USC.
We invite you to experience great organ music played on the David John Falconer Memorial Organ (originally built in 1911 for St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Los Angeles, by Murray M. Harris). Comprising over 5,000 pipes in total, the organ is an important part of Los Angeles musical history and takes its place among the country's most important and magnificent instruments.
These recitals are offered as a gift to the community free of charge, and we are grateful to the
Ahmanson Foundation and our
Friends of Great Music for their continuing support.
Pilgrimage to Canterbury
From July 23 to August 3, 2010, the Choir of St. James' leads a parish pilgrimage "Retracing our Anglican Heritage." The tour begins on our Patronal Feast Day of St. James' singing Evensong at
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, and continues with evensong services at some of England's most important historical sites including
Wells Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, St. George's Chapel, Windsor, and finally the seat of the Anglican Communion,
Canterbury Cathedral. Parishioners and Friends of St. James' Church are invited to participate in this tour, a premiere event in the parish's celebratory journey toward our Centennial Year of 2012. Come join the Choir on an unforgettable musical and spiritual journey! Click here for more information.
Solemn Evensong
The semi-professional Choir of St. James' distinguished itself in 1996 as the first American choir to have sung in performance with the
Choir of Westminster Abbey, London. They have since served twice as Choir-in-residence at the Abbey and are pleased to offer the Los Angeles community the uniquely Anglican service of Evensong in the style of the great English Cathedrals on the second Sunday of the month.
Freewill offering.Click here for more information.
Silence and Music: Compline
Drawn from the most contemplative of the monastic offices begun in the Middle Ages, this candle-lit choral service offers music from Gregorian Chant and early polyphony to the music of modern mystics. An offering of thanksgiving and a plea for peace, the voices of the Schola Cantorum of St. James' sing this service on the fourth Sunday of the month.
Freewill offering.Click here for more information.
Advent Procession of Lessons and Carols
Patterned after the ever-popular service of Nine Lessons and Carols originating from King's College, Cambridge, England, the Choir of St. James' offers this service in anticipation of Christmas on 13 December 2009.
Freewill offering.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Sunday 11 October
4:30 PM
SOLEMN EVENSONG
Choir of St. James'
6:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL LAUREATES ORGAN SERIES
David Briggs
Most impressive of all was the improvisation... which resulted in a dazzling series of variations ...and a blistering concluding toccata where hands and feet seemed to fly in every direction. - Birmingham Post, UK
Increasingly sought after for his orchestral transcriptions and improvisations,
David Briggs' performances are applauded for their musicality, virtuosity and ability to engage audiences of all ages. Organist Emeritus of Gloucester Cathedral, David directed the Three Choirs Festivals, conducting some of the UK's finest orchestras, notably the Philharmonia. A gifted teacher, he regularly gives master classes at the Royal Northern College of Music and at Oxford and Cambridge, and is frequently invited to serve on international competition juries. He has recorded over 25 solo CD's to critical acclaim, and is the first British winner of the
Tournemire Prize at the
St. Albans International Improvisation Competition.
Sunday 25 October
7:30 PM
COMPLINE
Schola Cantorum of St. James'
A quiet, candle-lit church with the fragrance of incense mingling with the uplifting strains of chant: a spiritual oasis in the heart of Los Angeles--this is the setting for Compline. As you enter the darkened church, you are welcome to sit or recline anywhere in the building as the voices of the
Schola Cantorum sing ancient melodies and mystical hymns to refresh your spirit. Please come as you are! A cushion or pillow may be desirable.
Sunday 8 November
4:30 PM
SOLEMN EVENSONG
Choir of St. James'
6:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL LAUREATES ORGAN SERIES
Stephen Tharp
The Perfect Virtuoso - Die Abendzeitung, München, Germany
Having played more than 1300 concerts worldwide,
Stephen Tharp has built one of the most respected and most traveled organ solo careers in the world. In April 2008, he was named the Official Organist for the NY visit of Pope Benedict XVI, playing for three major events attended by more than 60,000 people that were broadcast live worldwide. Stephen's performances have also been heard on both English and Irish national television, on Radio Prague, orgelnieuws.nl in the Netherlands, and in the US on American Public Media's
Pipedreams. His solo organ recordings can be found on the JAV, Aeolus, Naxos, Organum and Ethereal labels. Currently residing in NYC, Stephen is Artist-in-Residence at Grace Church, Broadway, and previously served in similar capacities at St. Patrick's Cathedral and St. Bartholomew's Church.
Sunday 22 November
7:30 PM
COMPLINE
Schola Cantorum of St. James'
Sunday 13 December
4:30 PM
AN ADVENT PROCESSION OF LESSONS AND CAROLS
The Choir of St. James' sings Advent carols and music from Gregorian Chant to the present day. Join us for this annual tradition in the style of King's College, Cambridge.
CHRISTMAS AT ST. JAMES'
You are invited to join us for a festive Christmas celebration of the Holy Eucharist with the
Choir of St. James' and instrumentalists at 10:30 PM, Dec. 24, or with a quiet service of Gregorian Chant at 10:30 AM on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
Sunday 27 December
No Compline is offered on this day.
Sunday 10 January
4:30 PM
SOLEMN EVENSONG
Choir of St. James'
6:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL LAUREATES ORGAN SERIES
Martin Jean
A riveting performance. A sublime experience. - The Diapason
Martin Jean is a first prize recipient at the international
Grand Prix de Chartres, France, and at the
National Young Artists' Competition by the American Guild of Organists. He has also won first prizes at the
University of Michigan International Organ Competition and the
Flint National Organ Competition and was a finalist in the
Calgary International Organ Festival Competition. Today, he is a highly sought-after teacher and has served on the panel of judges for many of the world's most distinguished competitions, including Chartres. Dr. Martin Jean has presented over 50 recitals throughout the world and currently is Professor of Organ at the Yale School of Music and Director of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. His commercial recordings are on the Raven and Gothic labels.
Sunday 24 January
7:30 PM
COMPLINE
Schola Cantorum of St. James'
Sunday 14 February
4:30 PM
SOLEMN EVENSONG
Choir of St. James'
6:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL LAUREATES ORGAN SERIES
Christopher Houlihan
What a wonderful finish to this recording with Houlihan literally dancing through this show stopper...you will no doubt become a 'Houli fan' after just a few minutes of listening. - The Diapason
Before reaching his 21st birthday in October 2008,
Christopher Houlihan had earned the
Prix de Perfectionnement from the French National Conservatory in Versailles, had been engaged to perform throughout the US and Europe, had recorded his debut CD, and had made his orchestral solo debut with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra sharing the spotlight with violinist Joshua Bell. Before reaching his next birthday, Christopher will have graduated from Trinity College in Connecticut and taken up residence in New York as a graduate student at The Juilliard School. During his year of study in France, Christopher served as Assistant Music Director at the American Cathedral in Paris and won
Le Prix des Amis de l'orgue de Versailles while a student of Jean-Baptiste Robin.
Sunday 28 February
7:30 PM
COMPLINE
Schola Cantorum of St. James'
Sunday 14 March
4:30 PM
SOLEMN EVENSONG
Choir of St. James'
6:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL LAUREATES ORGAN SERIES
William Whitehead
Whitehead's compelling playing represents advocacy of a high order. - BBC Music
William Whitehead is Organ Professor at Trinity College of Music and the former Music Director at St. Mary's Church, Bourne Street, both in London. Previous positions included seven years teaching at the Royal Academy of Music in London, service on the music staff of Westminster Abbey and later of Rochester Cathedral, and assisting John Eliot Gardiner with the famed Monteverdi Choir. William won first prize at the
Odense International Organ Competition in Denmark and has performed in South Africa, France, Denmark, Russia, Scotland, as well as extensively throughout England. His seventh compact disc, "Dances of Life and Death" on the Chandos label, won Five Stars from the magazine
BBC Music, and the
Diapason Découverte award in France.
Sunday 28 March
7:30 PM
COMPLINE
Schola Cantorum of St. James'
Sunday 11 April
4:30 PM
SOLEMN EVENSONG
Choir of St. James'
6:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL LAUREATES ORGAN SERIES
Frederick Swann
His playing was splendid, probing, brilliant and entertaining, as usual. - The Los Angeles Times
The immediate past President of the American Guild of Organists,
Frederick Swann's distinguished career has included the prominent positions of Organist for the Riverside Church of NYC, the Crystal Cathedral of Garden Grove, CA and the First Congregational Church of LA. While in NYC, he was Chair of the Organ Department at the Manhattan School of Music and served on the faculties of Teacher's College of Columbia University and the School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary. Having performed throughout the world, Frederick Swann frequently inaugurates important new organs including the organs in Orchestra Hall, Chicago, Davies Hall, San Francisco, and more recently in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, and the Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County. His many recordings have assisted in making his name one of the best known throughout the music world.
Sunday 25 April
7:30 PM
COMPLINE
Schola Cantorum of St. James'
Sunday 9 May
4:30 PM
SOLEMN EVENSONG
Choir of St. James'
6:00 PM
ORGAN RECITAL
Paul Meier
Paul Meier was appointed Assistant Organist at Saint James' Church in 2006 and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music where he received the award for outstanding master's degree graduate in organ. A student of Cherry Rhodes, his previous studies were with Clyde Holloway at the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Houston, where he was recently honored to perform a solo recital in celebration of Dr. Holloway's distinguished teaching career. Prior to his appointment at St. James', Paul was Organist of Bel-Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.
Sunday 23 May
7:30 PM
COMPLINE
Schola Cantorum of St. James'
Programs subject to change.