For the Feast of the Assumption at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney the Full Choir sang
the Kyrie, Gloria and Agnus Dei from Victoria’s
Missa Vidi Speciosam. The
Sanctus was from Mass IX for Feasts of the BVM (Cum Iubilo).
Almost the full set of chant Propers was sung: the Introit Gaudeamus, the Gradual Audi,
filia, the Alleluia Assumpta est
Maria, and the Communio Beatam me
dicent. The Offertory motet was Bruckner’s Ave Maria.
The organ postlude was Toccata sur Ave Maris Stella by Peeters.
The Mass was preceded by Vespers sung by the Choral
Scholars.
Assumption also saw Credo III in Latin make a welcome return to Sydney. As far as I am aware, a sung Latin Creed was last heard at St Mary's Cathedral in 2008 during the Papal Mass for WYD. The recording below is taken from the Mass, and note that the quality of the recording is rather poor, that commentary may be heard at the start of the Credo, and that the picture of the Pope sprinkling Holy Water was one of very few high quality images of the Mass that I was able to find on the internet (and naturally the Choir would have been singing an appropriate chant to accompany the Sprinkling Rite at this particular point in the Mass, which was for the dedication of the then new Altar at St Mary's Cathedral).
The Mass at St Mary's Cathedral on the Saturday of WYD 2008, and that at Westminster Cathedral during the Pope's 2010 visit to London, are regarded by many as the finest examples of Papal liturgies outside Rome in recent memory.
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| Beautiful vestments designed by the Australian firm St Bede Studio were worn by the Holy Father at the WYD liturgy at St Mary's Cathedral in 2008, and now reside in the sacristy at St Peter's in Rome |
