Easter in Sydney & London: Martin Baker's Stupendous "O Filii et Filiae" inlcluding rare brass arrangement

© Mazur/cbcew.org.uk

 

I was priviliged to be at the Easter Vigil at Westminster Cathedral this year, though somewhat disappointed that we didn't hear the marvellous Martin Baker arrangement of the great mediaeval French Easter hymn O Filii et Filiæ. Instead this was reserved for the Sunday 12 pm service. I'm fairly confident in saying that the usual tradition at the Drome is for it to be sung at the Vigil too, so I'm not sure why we had an impoverished experience this year, with the lay clerks singing Psalm 117 and we singing the basic of basic Easter Alleluias:

 

 

The Drome's "little sister" (St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney) has been doing the Baker "double-header" since 2010, and indeed commissioned the additional brass and timpani parts (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=951711021050437), which were heard this year if you were lucky enough to be there at the 10.30 am Sunday Mass. 

Hear for yourself below, Sydney x2 and Drome x1:

Sydney Easter Vigil 2026:

 

 

Sydney Easter Sunday Morning 2026 (with brass and timpani + organ): 

 

 

London Easter Sunday Noon:

 

It is hard to conclude that Sydney didn't (by a whisker) have the best music overall. Almost all the chant its "mother" in London had, plus Kodály (Vigil) and Widor (Easter Sunday) with brass versus in London splendid Vierne (Vigil) and Palestrina Papae Marcelli [meh] (Easter Sunday). Actually I was at the fabulous Ealing Abbey for their Sunday morning Mass, where it was Dvořák plus plenty of the proper chants. 

I did not go without, musically, this year! 

In another post I hope to discuss the woeful Notre Dame, Paris, by way of comparison.