Join us on Wednesday March 27, 2024!
For the second year in a row, the Christopher Street Collegium will perform Couperin's Leçons de Ténèbres for a vespers service that touched many hearts in 2023.
Holy Wednesday, or "Spy Wednesday," marks the day when Judas Iscariot decided to betray Jesus. Its evening ushers in the three days of Tenebrae, meaning "darkness". For centuries the church celebrated Tenebrae liturgies for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings of Holy Week, focused on the betrayal, crucifixion, and death of Christ. These were often celebrated the night before, starting on Wednesday evening.
Our Baroque Tenebrae Vespers carried on this ancient tradition, featuring 15 readings from the Book of Lamentations, each followed by a sung version of the reading, in Latin, composed by François Couperin. His Leçons de ténèbres pour le mercredi saint were composed for Holy Wednesday, 1714, to be performed at the Abbaye Royale de Longchamp, by two sopranos, organ, and viola da gamba.
In this beautiful liturgy of lament, candles were gradually extinguished as the church recalled its ancient descent into darkness. This opportunity was all the more rare for Couperin's exquisite French Baroque expression of Jeremiah's ancient Lamentations.
No tickets are required; seating is first-come, first-served.
Wednesday March 27, 2024 at 5:30pm
St. John's Lutheran Church, 81 Christopher Street, New York, NY
Rev. Andrew C. Patty, Pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church
Dr. Janet Sora Chung, Organ, Co-artistic Director
Adam Young, Viola da Gamba
Audrey Fernandez-Fraser, Soprano, Co-artistic Director
Linda Tsatsanis, Soprano
Past Events
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This jubilant and joyful Eastertide Vespers featured cantatas by J. S. Bach, Christoph Graupner alongside stunning selections by Johann Hermann Schein, George Friederic Handel and more!
Thursday May 4, 2023 at 6pm
St. John's Lutheran Church, 81 Christopher Street, New York, NY
Dr. Janet Sora Chung, Organ, Co-artistic Director
Carmen Johnson Pajaro, Violin
Kako Miura, Violin
Maren Rothfritz, Viola
Adam Young, Violoncello
Charlie Caranicas, Trumpet
Audrey Fernandez-Fraser, Soprano, Co-artistic Director
Michelle Repella, Alto
Andrew Yeargin, Tenor
Matthew Cramer, Bass
Holy Wednesday, or "Spy Wednesday," marks the day when Judas Iscariot decided to betray Jesus. Its evening ushers in the three days of Tenebrae, meaning "darkness". For centuries the church celebrated Tenebrae liturgies for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings of Holy Week, focused on the betrayal, crucifixion, and death of Christ. These were often celebrated the night before, starting on Wednesday evening.
Our Baroque Tenebrae Vespers carried on this ancient tradition, featuring 15 readings from the Book of Lamentations, each followed by a sung version of the reading, in Latin, composed by François Couperin. His Leçons de ténèbres pour le mercredi saint were composed for Holy Wednesday, 1714, to be performed at the Abbaye Royale de Longchamp, by two sopranos, organ, and viola da gamba.
In this beautiful liturgy of lament, candles were gradually extinguished as the church recalled its ancient descent into darkness. This opportunity was all the more rare for Couperin's exquisite French Baroque expression of Jeremiah's ancient Lamentations.
No tickets are required; seating is first-come, first-served.
Wednesday April 5, 2023 at 6pm
St. John's Lutheran Church, 81 Christopher Street, New York, NY
Dr. Janet Sora Chung, Organ, Co-artistic Director
Adam Young, Viola da Gamba
Audrey Fernandez-Fraser, Soprano, Co-artistic Director
Nola Richardson, Soprano
This Baroque Lenten Vespers featured an interweaving congregational singing, spoken word, and choral-orchestral music reflecting the emotional range of Jesus's 40 days in the wilderness. The harmonious cries of Purcell's Funeral Sentences giving way to robust Lutheran hymns of penitence and submission, including exquisite harmonizations by Heinrich Schütz and J.S. Bach.
Two solo cantatas -- Buxtehude's "Herzlich tut mich verlangen" (BuxWV 42) for soprano, and Bach's "Widerstehe doch der Sünde" (BWV 54) for counter-tenor, reflecting upon the believer's suffering, temptation, and ultimate triumph over sin.
The program featured two contemporary works by renowned performers of sacred music -- the doleful exilic Psalm 137, "By the waters of Babylon," set stirringly by McNeil Robinson; and a short, celestial setting of "Jesu, meine Seelen Wonne" for voice and strings by the Bach Institute's Rudolph Lutz. The service was opened and concluded by a stunning viola prelude and postlude.
Dr. Janet Sora Chung, Organ, Co-artistic Director
Carmen Johnson Pajaro, Violin
Amelia Sie, Violin
Kako Miura, Violin
Maren Rothfritz, Viola
Adam Young, Violoncello
Audrey Fernandez-Fraser, Soprano, Co-artistic Director
Daniel Moody, Counter-tenor
Andrew Yeargin, Tenor
William Hawley, Bass
This Advent Vespers at St. John's (81 Christopher St.) met with an enthusiastic congregational response. In addition to congregational chorales, the Christopher Street Collegium performed Bach Cantata 61, Buxtehude's BuxWV100 ("Wachet Auf"), BuxWV52 ("In Dulci Jubilo"), and a Schein Magnificat. The evening began with a sublime prelude of solo viola.
Click here to view the program notes.
Dr. Janet Sora Chung, Organ, Co-artistic Director
Carmen Johnson Pajaro, Violin
Amelia Sie, Violin
Maren Rothfritz, Viola
Adam Young, Violoncello
Joe Jones, Bassoon
Audrey Fernandez-Fraser, Soprano, Co-artistic Director
Sarah Moga, Mezzo-Soprano
Andrew Yeargin, Tenor
Bryan Murray, Baritone