02.08.2016
Peregryne Chant From St Audoen’s to St Patrick’s
How one of Dublin’s medieval churches acquired a dedication to the French saint, Audoen, is still rather a curiosity today. Dublin’s trade links with Rouen, from whence the saintly archbishop came, existed from the eleventh–century, before the arrival of the Anglo–Normans to Ireland. A relic of him survived in the cathedral priory of Holy Trinity (Christ Church) which may be the reason an antiphon to St Audoen is preserved in a processional (Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawl.liturg.d.4, f. 190v) likely bequeathed by the cathedral’s Augustinian canons to the old St John’s church at the top of Fishamble Street.
Peregryne will sing the antiphon (shown here) on Thursday 4 August 2016 at 19.00 in the medieval church of St Audoen on Cornmarket in Dublin, attended by members of Cantus Planus, www.cantusplanus2016.org, an international musicological society meeting in Dublin. Music will also include the unexpected harmonic addition to the Latin plainsong hymn ‘Te lucis ante terminum’ (‘Before the ending of the day’) by Thomas Tallis (c.1505–85) and will conclude with a large–scale Marian antiphon from the Eton choirbook, ‘Stabat Mater’ by John Browne (c.1453–after 1503).
Then on Sunday 7 August, Peregryne will sing both the eucharist and evensong in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin on Sunday 7 August 2016 at 11.15 and 15.15 respectively, accompanied by St Patrick’s organ scholar, Martina Smyth. Music for the eucharist will be mainly 15th and 16th century, including the ‘Missa Pange lingua’ by Josquin des Prez (c.1450/5–1521); an anonymous setting (c.1400×75) of ‘Deus Deorum’ (psalm 50) from the Trent codicies (Tr 88, 149v–150r) and, as a communion motet, the votive antiphon, ‘Gaude plurimum’ by John Taverner (c.1490–1545).
Peregryne will be joined for evensong by the instrumental ensemble, Seanma, whose recorders and viols will add a dash of Restoration peruke to the mostly 17th–century musical proceedings. This will include the preces and responses by William Smith (1603–45) with a Lord’s Prayer by Robert Stone (1516–1613), while the canticles are by one of the earliest of the Restoration composers, Pelham Humfrey (1647–74). The anthem, ‘Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei’ is the famous setting of psalm 3 by the finest English composer of the Restoration period, Henry Purcell (1659–95). All are most welcome to all of these services.