St Bride’s Matronal Festival: Choral Eucharist with Orchestra

All are welcome to join us as we come together to celebrate our matron saint, St Bride – otherwise known as Brigid of Kildare – as she takes centre stage in this annual festival service on Sunday 26th January at 11am.

We are delighted that the St Bride’s Orchestra will be joining our choir in a performance of Joseph Rheinberger’s Mass in C, Op 169.

Josef Rheinberger, born on 17th March, 1839, in Liechtenstein, was a renowned composer and organist. His early musical prowess led him to Munich, where he became a student and later a professor at the Munich Conservatorium. Rheinberger’s prolific output spans various genres, including choral works, organ compositions, symphonies, and chamber music. As a teacher, he influenced composers such as Humperdinck and Furtwängler.

Rheinberger passed away on November 25, 1901, leaving a rich legacy that continues to resonate in the world of classical music.

Despite writing a number of sacred pieces, Rheinberger’s Mass in C is the only orchestral mass. It is set for soloists, mixed chorus and orchestra. He generally treated the solo voices as an ensemble, without any single voice standing out in arioso style. The version for string orchestra and organ will be performed.

Bride or Brigid was born in the fifth century near Kildare in Ireland, the daughter of a rich man who went on to embrace the religious life, found a number of abbeys and is the patroness of Ireland.

St Bride features in the art and imagery of our church as reminders of her inspirational life: her compassion for the poor and needy; her generous hospitality and ministry of welcome; her love and respect for the natural world; and her determination to keep the light of Christ permanently afire.

What better inspiration could we have to remind us of our own priorities as a worshipping community than the Irish woman who gave her name to the amazing holy place that is St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street.