The basilica of St John the Evangelist in Stamford, Connecticut, will host the US premiere of Charles Villiers Stanford’s Great Mass in G major (opus 46), on Sunday, October 13, in celebration of the canonization of the Bl. Cardinal John Henry Newman, which will take place that same day. The Mass will begin at noon; the basilica is located at 279 Atlantic Street in downtown Stamford. Admission to the Mass is free and open to the general public; advance media coverage is encouraged, and members of the media are welcome to attend.
Charles Stanford (1852-1924) was a major composer, music teacher, and conductor, and the founding director of the Royal College of Music in London; his Great Mass in G major was written in 1892 at the request of Thomas Wingham, choirmaster of the London Oratory, and has never been performed outside of the United Kingdom. “The Great Mass was written when Stanford was at the height of his musical powers and calls for a wealth of musical forces, employing a full orchestra, choir, and soloists,” says Nicholas Botkins, musical director of the basilica, who will serve as conductor. “Stanford is one of the giants of British music, and I can’t think of a better way for our Catholic community to honor the canonization of a giant figure in our Church, John Henry Cardinal Newman.”
Charles Stanford (1852-1924) was a major composer, music teacher, and conductor, and the founding director of the Royal College of Music in London; his Great Mass in G major was written in 1892 at the request of Thomas Wingham, choirmaster of the London Oratory, and has never been performed outside of the United Kingdom. “The Great Mass was written when Stanford was at the height of his musical powers and calls for a wealth of musical forces, employing a full orchestra, choir, and soloists,” says Nicholas Botkins, musical director of the basilica, who will serve as conductor. “Stanford is one of the giants of British music, and I can’t think of a better way for our Catholic community to honor the canonization of a giant figure in our Church, John Henry Cardinal Newman.”
