Magnificat: Hymns to the Mother of God from the East and West

sjsvconcertwebUPDATE: Music removed at the request of St. Joseph’s Seminary & St. Vladimir’s Seminary.


Choirs from two local theological schools representing Eastern and Western Christendom jointly presented an a cappella concert titled “Magnificat: Hymns to the Mother of God from the East and West” on Monday evening, November 25, 2013, 7:30 pm, at St. Jean Baptiste Church, 184 East 76th Street, New York City. The Male Choir from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, of the Orthodox Church in America, joined with a Schola from St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, in praise of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, who holds a place of honor in both traditions.

Music selections from the Orthodox tradition for the concert illustrated the Eastern Church’s feasts dedicated to the Theotokos (Greek for “Mother of God”), while music from the Roman Catholic tradition included time-honored hymns of laudation to the Virgin Mary, taken from ancient chant and from the classical period up until modern times, such as O Sanctissima by Beethoven (1770–1827) and Ave Maria by Biebl (1906–2001).

View the program for Magnificat

St. Joseph’s Seminary

St. Vladimir’s Seminary

Combined Choirs of St. Joseph’s Seminary & St. Vladimir’s Seminary

Finale

Sources: