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 immensley disappointed that we didn't hear the electrifying Martin Baker arrangement of the great mediaeval French Easter hymn by Jean Tisserand O Filii et Filiæ (containing sweeping choral passages and "organ fireworks", reputedly inspired by the works of Jean Langlais, in which the congreation join with antiphonal three-fold Alleuia refrains). Instead this was reserved for the Sunday 12 pm service (at which I was not present). 

I'm fairly confident in saying that the usual tradition at the Drome is for it to be sung at the Vigil too, after the Communio Confitemini Domino (Psalm 117), the verses of which are sung by the choir in between a congregational alleluia (see below), so I'm not sure why it was omitted this year (and it wasn't a timing issue - it wasn't listed in the Music List nor was it in the order of service). Oddly enough, it wasn't in the Music List for Easter Sunday, and I cannot say whether it was printed in the order of service, but it was actually sung! 

So, at the Vigil, the Communion Chant we had (congregational Alleluia refrain below), the Baker O Filii et Filiae we did not:

 

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:

 

Extract of the St Mary's Cathedral Sydney Easter Vigil Order of Service

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

 

London Easter Sunday Noon 2026:

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.   

Update 

I had forgotten that the Drome choir under its current Master of Music, Simon Johnson, has recorded a CD of music specifically for the Easter Vigil at Westminster Cathedral (though recorded at the wonderful Buckfast Abbey - with the consequence that the organ is not the famous Henry Willis III Grand Organ): https://www.adfontes.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AF012-Lumen-Christi-%E2%80%93-A-sequence-of-music-for-the-Easter-Vigil-The-Choir-of-We.pdf), including ... the Martin Baker O Filii et Filiae. Again, not sure why missing from this year's Easter Vigil.