Grand Philharmonic Choir

Tudor Splendour
2019-03-23 19:30 (America/Toronto) | Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist, 23 Water St N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 5A4, Canada
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English Renaissance choral music is a garden in full bloom! Experience the glorious polyphony of Tallis, Byrd and Sheppard. Then, compare with devotional contemporary works, including Emily Walker’s exquisitely crafted, serene I Asked of God. At this concert, we will also present the world premiere of the winning work in our 2019 GPC Choral Works Competition — Sonnet 18, by Rémi St-Jacques.
Learn more about this exciting new composition here.
Tudor Splendour
Sheppard: Media Vita
Byrd: Mass in 4 Voices
Allan: In paradisum
Walker: I Asked of God
And more!
Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers
Mark Vuorinen – Conductor
March 23rd, 7:30 pm
Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist, Kitchener

Bach St. Matthew Passion
2019-04-19 19:30 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Join our Good Friday tradition of a master work by J.S. Bach. His St. Matthew Passion invites the listener to reflect on the perspectives of the different players in this beautiful and redemptive account.
Bach St. Matthew Passion
Isaiah Bell – Evangelist
Daniel Okulitch – Christus
Estelí Gomez – Soprano
Allyson McHardy – Mezzo-Soprano
Asitha Tennekoon – Tenor
Daniel Lichti – Baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir and Youth Choir
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen – Conductor
Good Friday, April 19th, 7:30pm
Centre in the Square, Kitchener
The singing of the Passion narrative has been part of Holy Week liturgies since at least the fourth century. Early forms began as recitations by a single cantor, intoning all of the roles. By the ninth century, manuscripts reveal that indications for the tempo, relative pitch and volume of the recitation of these texts had been prescribed. In the 12th century, fixed pitches for the words of the Evangelist, Christ, and the crowds had been set by using symbolic letters in the margins. These printed rubrics are the precursors to fully composed polyphonic settings, which abound in the voice of all four Gospel-tellers from at least the fifteenth century on. These texts form the backbone of the Christian faith and have served as the seeds of profound musical composition for centuries.
From the middle of the 17th century, composers began to add non-biblical texts to the Passion in the form of arias and choruses as well as independent instrumental movements. Familiar Lutheran hymns or chorales were interpolated in Protestant Germany reminding the participants that the ownership of this liturgical practice belonged squarely to the people.
When Johann Sebastian Bach arrived in Leipzig to take up the post of Cantor at the Thomaskirche in 1723, the singing of elaborate settings of the Passion narrative was a relatively new tradition. Historically, Good Friday at the Thomaskirche saw the singing of a simple four-part setting of the Passion from the 16 th Century by Johann Walter, a contemporary of Martin Luther. The conservative leadership of the Thomaskirche may have liked to see that tradition remain. But, ever since Georg Philipp Telemann had written a Passion oratorio for the ‘New Church’ across town in 1717, Bach’s predecessor, Johann Kuhnau, had tried to persuade the Leipzig consistory to allow for the performance of a new “figural style” Passion to be sung on Good Friday. Eventually, the consistory, observing churchgoers flocking across town to the ‘New Church’ for Good Friday liturgical celebrations, relented and allowed Kuhnau to prepare, and perform a new setting of the St. Mark Passion with biblical narrative, reflective chorales and free poetry in the form of arias in 1721. And so, by the time of Bach’s arrival in Leipzig two years later, a new tradition for the afternoon Vespers liturgy on Good Friday had emerged. It is a point of great interest, and perhaps a little pride, then, that the long tradition of singing Passion oratorios on Good Friday by this choir, in Waterloo Region, has a longer history than that which Bach inherited in 1723.
The St. Matthew Passion was first performed on Good Friday, April 11, 1727, though documentary evidence suggests that Bach had started on it much earlier, perhaps hoping that it would be ready for his second Easter in Leipzig in 1725. But, it would be another two years before his second Passion setting was ready. So a revised version of the St. John Passion, heard in 1724 was remounted in 1725, and a year later Bach returned to a St. Mark Passion he had performed some years ago in Weimar by Friedrich Nicolaus Brauns. Bach, it seems, wanted to make his second Passion setting a personal triumph, taking the necessary time to complete what would become his grandest work.
First Bach had to set out to find a text. One of the requirements of the Leipzig consistory for Passion texts was that biblical narratives didn’t stray from their biblical sources. This stipulation meant that the popular models by librettists like Barthold Heinrich Brockes, which were in wide use elsewhere would not pass muster at the Thomaskirche because they substituted biblical text with rhymed paraphrase. Eventually, Bach settled on a libretto that interpolated contemporary poetry and Lutheran chorales into the biblical account of the Passion according to Matthew by Christian Friedrich Henrici, known by his pen-name Picander. Whether Bach set out to commission Picander for a text or Picander came to Bach is unclear. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the two artists worked
closely on the collaboration.
Picander’s text and Bach’s music set two full chapters, 26 and 27, of Matthew’s gospel. With a careful ear to a sense of pacing Bach and Picander interposed fifteen reflective texts of free poetry. Each brings the dramatic activity to a brief pause, allowing the personal, collective voice of the aria texts to comment on the action that has just taken place. The narrative is made entirely personal through these extraordinary meditations: Peter’s guilt in denying Christ is made universal in the stunning aria Erbarme dich and the collective mourning that follows Christ’s death is reflected in the beautiful Mache dich, mein Herze rein. These, of course, are just two examples. It is these reflective pillars take that take on the character of a musical Stations of the Cross, each encouraging Bach’s congregants towards a truer, purer devotion.
In the St. Matthew Passion Bach used every available musical form: recitatives, which relate the story, ariosos and arias, chorales and chorale fantasias (such as the opening and closing movements of Part I). He uses dance forms in the arias and many of the choruses and sets apart the words of Christ by surrounding them in a halo of strings. And, the use of the unusual (for Bach) double choir and orchestra demonstrate that his ambition for this work was far beyond that of any other of its kind.
Demonstrating that he believed the St. Matthew Passion to be his most significant work, Bach returned to his St. Matthew Passion three more times at the Thomaskirche and took extraordinary care in creating a calligraphic fair copy score, meticulously reproduced and restored by its composer.
We, as performers and listeners, have inherited a truly masterful work and are the beneficiaries of its unequalled genius.
Notes by Mark Vuorinen

Candide
2019-10-26 19:30 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Philosophy meets broadway! Leonard Bernstein’s delightful operetta offers biting wit, musical fireworks and unforgettable melodies. The Grammy- and Juno-nominated Elora Singers join the Grand Philharmonic Choir for this unforgettable performance.
Chris Fischer – Candide
Vania Chan – Cunegonde
Paul Grambo – Pangloss
Christina Stelmacovich – The Old Lady
Jenn Krabbe – Paquette
Richard Hrytzak – Maximilian
The Elora Singers
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor
Pre-concert talk at 6:30 by UW History professor Andrew Hunt – “Candide, Satire, and America in the 1950s”
Try us out! For this concert only, all tickets are $40 or less! ($14 anywhere in the house for under-30s or students; $5 for high school and younger)

Winter Hymn
2019-11-09 19:30 | Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist, 23 Water St N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 5A4, Canada
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A selection of contemplative works as we welcome winter
Imagine a child’s excitement for a sleigh ride in Sarah Quartel’s A Winter’s Day. Experience the soaring lines of Ola Gjeilo’s The Rose. Be transfixed by Caleb Burhan’s Super flumina Babylonis, a captivating setting of Psalm 37. And so much more!

Messiah
2019-12-07 19:30 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Nothing is better at Christmastime than Handel’s Messiah. From the first ringing notes of “Comfort Ye, My People,” to the beautifully drawn Nativity story, to the thrilling “Hallelujah” chorus and beyond, this is the best-loved work we perform, year after year. Whether this is your first Messiah or your 50th, it will be very special.
Mireille Asselin, soprano
Maude Brunet, mezzo-soprano
Asitha Tennekoon, tenor
Samuel Chan, baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

CANCELLED - Brahms Requiem
2020-04-10 19:30 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Brahms’ deeply personal Ein Deutsches Requiem is by turns exquisitely tender and powerfully moving.
Eriks Ešenvalds’ Passion and Resurrection tells the Passion story with rich, sonorous choral writing and a mosaic of sacred texts.
Lesley Bouza, soprano
Tyler Duncan, baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

CANCELLED - Choirs in Concert - Friday
2020-05-08 19:30 | Ontario
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A wonderful evening for all the family!
All 200 singers in our own family of four choirs sing their hearts out for you, in an unforgettable night of music-making!
Included will be the world premiere of the winning work in our 2020 Choral Works Composition Contest – this year, especially created for children’s choir.

CANCELLED - Choirs in Concert - Saturday
2020-05-09 19:30 | Ontario

ChoirLab Virtual Music Experience
2020-07-27 09:00 - 11:00 | Ontario
CHOIRLAB
Starts July 27
Love to sing?
Want to explore new types of music from the comforts of your own home?
Need to brush up your vocal and musicianship skills?
Level up with ChoirLab!
All participants will receive a $25 discount for our fall season!
ChoirLab
For children ages 7 – 14
July 27-31 9-11 am daily

* Choose your own adventure — select a project and make music together online
* Explore new music with others of the same age
* Individual vocal check-ins
* Yoga for Young Singers session with yoga teacher and pianist, Anna Ronai
* Led by Andrea deBoer-Jones (biography below)

Register here for ChoirLab Kids ages 7 – 14
Monday – Friday July 27 – 31, 9 – 11 a.m.

More about our ChoirLab leader!

Children’s ChoirLab Director: Andrea deBoer-Jones (Hon BMus, Vocal Music Specialist)

Conductor, Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir
K-12 Choral Music Director, St. John’s Kilmarnock School
PYP MYP Music Specialist
Former singer of Elora Festival Singers and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
Choir adjudicator, Kiwanis Music Festivals (PEI, Stratford, Port Hope)

Elijah
2022-10-22 19:30 - 21:30 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Surging dramatic passages. Beautiful serene interludes. A story of a drought, futile prayers offered to a false god, and the complex, brooding figure of the central character, Elijah.
Choir alumni will join current members to perform this memorable start to a landmark season.
Jacqueline Woodley, Soprano
Allyson McHardy, Mezzo-Soprano
Owen McCausland, Tenor
James Westman, Baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor
Please see our Health and Safety protocols here

Duruflé Requiem
2022-11-12 19:30 - 21:00 | St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 49 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 2G9, Canada
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In this masterpiece by Maurice Duruflé, medieval chant is combined with luxuriant harmonies.
Christina Stelmacovich, mezzo-soprano
Ben Wallace, baritone
Jonathan Oldengarm, organ
Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Messiah
2022-12-10 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Messiah is a banquet for the spirit. From the beautifully drawn nativity story, to the thrilling “Hallelujah” chorus and beyond, it is the best-loved work we perform. We warmly welcome our Artistic Director Emeritus, Howard Dyck, as guest conductor.
Megan Chartrand, Soprano
Julie Boulianne, Mezzo-Soprano
Colin Ainsworth, Tenor
Jesse Blumberg, Baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Howard Dyck, conductor

Stories of Love, Loss and Life
2023-03-11 19:30 - 21:00 | Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist, 23 Water St N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 5A4, Canada
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A journey of the human spirit, with works by Tracy Wong, Nathaniel Dett, Elton John, Stephanie Martin and many more.
Saturday March 11, 7:30 p.m.
Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist
23 Water Street North, Kitchener
Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers
Tom Corken, conductor
Raneem Barakat, soloist
Debra Lacoste, trumpet
Ian VanderBurgh, piano
Tickets: $32 adults and seniors / $25 for GPC subscribers / $20 for students and under 30s / $10 for high school students and younger
Tickets available at the door, or by clicking the button above or calling 519-578-1570.
The church has an accessible entrance on Duke Street.

Bach B-Minor Mass
2023-04-07 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Join us in this beloved Good Friday tradition. This magnificent work speaks to the full spectrum of human experience, from the sparkling joy of “Gloria” to the suffering of “Crucifixus” and the final serenity of “Dona nobis pacem”.
Sherezade Panthaki, Soprano
Julia Dawson, Mezzo-Soprano
Lawrence Wiliford, Tenor
Jonathon Adams, Baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Martin's "Water: An Environmental Oratorio" and Bruckner's "Te Deum"
2023-05-28 15:00 - 16:30 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Our season concludes with a brand-new oratorio. We will give the world premiere of Stephanie Martin’s “Water: An Environmental Oratorio”, the story of the importance of this precious resource and a community’s efforts to protect it.
Anton Bruckner’s powerful “Te Deum” opens this concert.
Katy Clark, Soprano
Marion Newman, Mezzo-Soprano
Jean-Philippe Lazure, Tenor
Phillip Addis, Baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir
Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Mozart: Requiem, Estacio: The Houses Stand Not Far Apart
2023-10-21 19:30 - 21:30 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Jennifer Krabbe – Soprano
Jennifer Enns Modolo – Mezzo-Soprano
Nicholas Nicolaidis – Tenor
Dion Mazerolle – Baritone
Musicians of the KWSymphony*
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir
University of Waterloo Chamber Choir
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor
* We express our sadness, and our solidarity, for the musicians from the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony who are facing an uncertain future as a result of the cancellation of their upcoming season performances. To accompany the choir for this concert, we will be engaging the Musicians of the KWSymphony, following the practices sent out by the Canadian Federation of Musicians.
Join us for the beautiful and heartbreaking Requiem, which Mozart wrote as he was dying, yet still a young man. This concert also features The Houses Stand Not Far Apart by John Estacio, an eloquent call for peace that will be enhanced by projected photography.
Tickets: $34 to $88; $20 for under-30s and students; $10 high school and younger — click the button above or call Centre In The Square box office at 519-578-1570.

Annelies
2023-11-18 19:30 - 21:30 | Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum, 10 Huron Rd., Kitchener, Ontario, N2P 2R7, Canada
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This deeply moving work is based on the life and diary of Anne Frank, the doomed Jewish girl who died in the Nazi Holocaust, and who has become a symbol of hope and goodness in very dark times.
Sara Schabas – Soprano
Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor

Bach: Christmas Oratorio
2023-12-09 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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A rarely heard gem! Bach’s celebration of Christmas sparkles with joy and optimism. You’ll be uplifted by these exuberant choruses and quiet, reflective moments from this truly great composer.
Molly Netter – Soprano
Lillian Brooks – Mezzo-Soprano
Asitha Tennekoon – Tenor
Stephen Hegedus – Bass-Baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor

North, South, East, West
2024-03-02 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Matthews Centre, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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Take a journey around the world through beautiful choral music!
North, South, East, West will begin with an Ojibway song of welcome by Andrew Balfour. Songs from Malaysia, China, and India introduce us to the sounds of Asia, while an Argentinian tango will get audience members moving in their seats. And a beautiful Palestinian song of love for one’s mother will be shared with guest Syrian soloist Raneem Barakat.

Bach St. John Passion
2024-03-29 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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We continue our beloved tradition of reflecting with a Bach masterwork on Good Friday. The St. John Passion is a beautiful and dramatic setting of the biblical narrative.
Andrew Haji – Evangelist
Justin Welsh – Jesus
Rebecca Genge – Soprano
Daniel Cabena – Countertenor
Daniel Lichti – Baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor
As we prepared Bach’s St. John Passion for this concert over the past few weeks, we thought it important to offer resources that provide context into this beautiful and unsettling work. Please click here to learn more.
Join us for a pre-concert talk at 6:30 at the KW Art Gallery (across from the Centre In The Square box office) with Dr. Allen Jorgenson, Assistant Dean and professor of systematic theology at Martin Luther University College.

Music for a Changing Earth
2024-04-27 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Matthews Centre, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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Evocative music for a changing Earth that will leave you inspired and moved.
Featuring Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water by the brilliant young Canadian composer Katerina Gimon. Also, take in works by Palestrina, Eric Whitacre, Rupert Lang and Alberto Grau.

Carmina Burana
2024-10-26 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Carmina Burana is an over-the-top feast of love songs, drinking songs, and a powerful ode to the fickleness of fate. By turns clever, tender, and sardonic, it’s a lot of fun for the singers as well as the audience!
Andrew Balfour’s moving work is a setting of Psalm 67 in Cree, which explores the difficult relationship between Indigenous spirituality and the impact of the Christian culture on First Nations people.
Lindsay McIntyre – Soprano
Chris Fischer – Tenor
Nathan Keoughan – Baritone
Musicians of the KW Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor

Fauré Requiem
2024-11-02 20:00 - 22:00 | St. Matthews Centre, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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Note: the time and location of this concert have changed. It will be held at 8:00pm on Saturday November 2nd, at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener
This beloved and ethereal Requiem will be accompanied by other works by Fauré, Hindemith, and Canadian composer Marie-Claire Saindon.
Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor
Tickets available at the door

Messiah
2024-12-14 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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No matter how many times you may have heard Handel’s Messiah, it is always as fresh, hopeful, and lovely as an evergreen tree covered in sparkling decorations! Join us for this special occasion at Christmas time, and make your season complete!
Claire de Sévigné – Soprano
Lillian Brooks – Mezzo-Soprano
Owen McCausland – Tenor
Andrew Mahon – Baritone
Musicians of the KW Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor

This Is Me - Children's and Youth Choirs, with Carousel Dance Centre
2025-02-22 16:00 - 17:30 | Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb St. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 1T1, Canada
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We’re thrilled to be collaborating again with the Carousel Dance Centre, with music from Broadway shows such as the Greatest Showman, the Lion King, and more!
There will be two performances – one at 4:00pm and one at 7:00pm. Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for students and under-30s, free for grade 8 and under (but do get them a ticket anyway so we have an accurate seat count!)

In Concert with the Waterloo Chamber Players
2025-03-02 15:00 - 17:00 | Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb St. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 1T1, Canada
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We are excited to announce our first collaboration with the Waterloo Chamber Players, a small orchestra composed of skilled amateur and semi-professional musicians who have been playing and performing together since 1994. Music by Mozart, Elgar, Schubert and more!
Waterloo Chamber Players
Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers
Matthew Jones, Guest Conductor
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor
Tickets can be purchased until noon on Saturday March 1st either online by clicking the Buy Tickets button above, or by calling the Centre In The Square box office at 519-578-1570. You can also purchase tickets at the door before the concert

Songs of Destiny
2025-03-22 19:30 - 22:00 | St. Matthews Centre, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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There are a limited number of tickets remaining for this concert! Purchase your tickets ahead of time to avoid disappointment!
A selection of hauntingly lovely works, from Brahms and Schubert, to Ola Gjeilo and Joni Mitchell!
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor

St. Matthew Passion
2025-04-18 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Bach’s sublime and powerful setting of the Passion story offers layers of theological and mystical symbolism, a dramatic Biblical narrative, and a compassionate, loving portrayal of the human spirit.
Asitha Tennekoon – Evangelist
Jesse Blumberg – Jesus
Hélène Brunet – Soprano
Allyson McHardy – Mezzo-Soprano
Lawrence Wiliford – Tenor
Jamal Al Titi – Baritone
Musicians of the KW Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor

Missa Solemnis
2025-10-25 19:30 - 21:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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“From the heart: may it go to the heart” ~ Beethoven on his epic Missa Solemnis
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis stands as one of the composer’s most profound and ambitious works, a monumental setting of the Latin Mass that blends spiritual intensity with symphonic grandeur. Written over several years and premiered in 1824, it stretches the boundaries of sacred music with its dramatic scope, intricate counterpoint, and heartfelt devotion. You will be drawn into an awe-inspiring journey that conveys Beethoven’s deep faith and humanity, making the Missa Solemnis a truly timeless masterpiece.
Aviva Fortunata, soprano
Marion Newman, mezzo-soprano
Owen McCausland, tenor
Brett Polegato, baritone
University of Waterloo Chamber Choir
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Mark Vuorinen, conductor
This concert will be performed without intermission. Length approximately 80 minutes.
Program notes
Von Herzen: möge es wieder zu Herzen gehen!
From the heart: may it go to the heart!
It is this very personal and emotive inscription that Beethoven wrote at the top of the score of his Missa Solemnis. Beethoven, who had already defied what was thought possible with respect to the genres of the day, dedicated most of the years 1819-1822 to writing a new Mass that would become the “crown of my life’s work.”
In 1809, Archduke Rudolph, brother of Emperor Franz II, was one of three noblemen who signed a contract assuring Beethoven would receive an annual annuity for as long as he remained in Vienna. Around the same time, Beethoven began to give Rudolph music lessons, instructing him in piano and composition. A long-lasting relationship of reliable patronage emerged, prompting Beethoven to dedicate a large number of major works to him. Some years later, when it became known that Archduke Rudolph, a priest, would be elevated to the status of cardinal and be made Archbishop, Beethoven professed his desire to mark the occasion with a new Mass setting:
The day on which a High Mass composed by me will be performed during the ceremonies solemnized for Your Imperial Highness will be the most glorious day of my life; and God will enlighten me so that my poor talents may contribute to the glorification of that solemn day.
Beethoven’s work on the Mass began in earnest, but both the eventual scale of the new work and several interruptions in its composition meant that the date of Rudolph’s installation, March 20, 1820, came and went before Beethoven could complete it (music by Hummel and Haydn was performed instead). It would, in fact, be another three years before the new work was finished. Nevertheless, its dedication, “Von Herzen- möge es wieder zu Herzen gehen,” was intended as much an offering of gratitude and admiration to his friend, student and patron, as it is an indication to the rest of the world of the profoundly personal nature of the music. The occasion of Archduke Rudolph’s installation as cardinal and archbishop may have been the impetus Beethoven needed to contemplate the new work, but the Missa Solemnis would take on so much greater a scope and scale than would have been suitable for a liturgical event; this would occupy Beethoven’s creative energy for nearly four years.
Beethoven prepared exhaustively to begin writing this new mass, noting in his diary in 1818, that to write good church music one must “go through all the ecclesiastical chants of the monks, etc. Also look there for the stanzas in the most correct translations along with the most perfect prosody of all Christian-Catholic psalms and hymns in general.” He studied music of the great masters who came before him, including Palestrina, Handel and Bach, for whom he had great respect. He found inspiration, too, in the ancient musical modes of the church, in which the “devotion is divine. May God permit me to express it one day.”
Although Beethoven had set the Mass text once before, in 1807, he began this endeavour with a fresh copy and marked the textual stress of every phrase, with a word by word German translation underneath. He made minor alterations and word substitutions (ending the Gloria with a reprise of the opening text or replacing “Et in spiritum sanctum” with “Credo in spiritum sanctum,” for example). These editorial decisions were made to better fit his thematic and formal musical designs.
The first performance of Missa Solemnis took place in St. Petersburg in 1824 and was given by Prince Nikolai Galitzin who had commissioned other works of Beethoven. The first performance at which Beethoven was present was in Vienna a month later, but was incomplete. The Kyrie, Credo and Agnus Dei were performed in a German translation, since the performance of liturgical works was forbidden in the concert hall. The Mass movements were billed as “Three Sacred Hymns” and were performed in the same concert as the premiere of the Ninth Symphony. Beethoven would not see or “hear” (he was completely deaf by this point of his life) a complete performance in his lifetime.
The Kyrie begins not with a decisive downbeat, but with an upbeat, momentarily suspending time until the woodwinds intone the cries of “Kyrie, preceding those of the chorus and soloists by several measures. The middle section, Christe, flows easily in three, giving contrast to the stoicism of the opening passages. The timeless lament returns with the repetition of the words Kyrie eleison.
Beethoven begins the Gloria with a thunderous uproar using nearly the whole, large orchestra to initiate a rising line of exultation. In a moment of matter-of-fact text painting he arrests the rushing climb, dropping two octaves for the words, “et in terra pax hominibus” (and in earth peace and goodwill to all) returning us all to terra firma. A tender aria for the vocal quartet and chorus forms a slow-movement to his well-balanced triptych of veneration. After returning to the fast tempo a fugue builds towards the end where unexpectedly Beethoven returns to both the text and music of the beginning of the movement (Gloria in excelsis Deo) only now at a faster, more inexhaustible tempo. The movement ends with the chorus shouting “Gloria!” after the orchestra has finished.
The Credo is the longest and wordiest movement of the Mass and also contains some of the most ferocious music for both the orchestra and singers. Beethoven’s piety has always been somewhat of a question. He was born and raised Catholic but would not have been considered an orthodox believer. He did not attend church regularly past the age of childhood and found little use for organized religion. It becomes a subject of interest, therefore, to notice which clauses of the Nicene Creed, the testament of faith, Beethoven emphasizes in his setting. The incarnation, a still moment in time, (Et incarnatus est: And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit…) receives the most intimate music of the entire mass, with a trilling flute depicting the Holy Spirit’s gentle breath over the quartet of soloists. The resurrection, a central tenet of Christianity, (Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum scripturas) is over in just six measures of music, while the final three words of the creed, …et vitam venturi (and the life of the world to come), receives 177 measures. Beethoven’s understanding of religion was less concerned with the details of dogma than with the ways in which humanity relates to God.
Beethoven sets the Sanctus in a b-minor Adagio. The score is marked “Mit Andacht” (With Devotion) and is sung by the quartet of soloists. A measured tremolo builds tension before the orchestra and chorus are once again unleashed in an imitative frenzy at the words pleni sunt coeli. One of the most extraordinary moments of the Mass follows. A lengthy orchestral Prelude of lower strings, bassoon and flutes brings the liturgical proceedings to a standstill, before a transcendent violin solo descends from the heavens and weaves throughout the Benedictus.
The Agnus Dei contains some of the most personal music of the entire Missa Solemnis. Three solemn statements of Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi accompanied by low strings, horns and bassoons leads to an extended Dona nobis pacem (Grant us peace). Here Beethoven gives the instruction “Bitte um inner und äußern Frieden” (Prayer for inner and outer peace). It must be noted that Beethoven knew little peace in his lifetime. Threat of invasion during the Napoleonic wars was never far off and personal peace often eluded the great composer. From family custody battles involving his nephew to constant fear of financial ruin, Beethoven’s own sense of strength was often in jeopardy. Needless to say, his hearing loss over the course of the previous decade was a source of distress and embarrassment. On three occasions in the Dona nobis pacem section, Beethoven interrupts the playful, optimistic theme with “war interludes.” In the first, field bugles are heard, invoking the soloists to a recitative-like passage to sing once again “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The second involves an extended, wandering orchestral passage that culminates in the sound of trumpets and drums pleading for peace with a shout. The third interlude is a remembrance of war, a distant drumming before four ‘pacems’ from the chorus returns hope.
Missa Solemnis stands as one of his most profound achievements—a towering exploration of faith, humanity, and transcendence. Fusing monumental architecture with moments of intimate devotion, it reaches beyond liturgical boundaries to express universal longing for peace and reconciliation. From fervent cries of “Kyrie” to the radiant vision of the “Dona nobis pacem,” this masterpiece remains both a personal testament of belief and a timeless appeal to the spirit.
–Mark Vuorinen

Take a Winter Walk With Me
2025-11-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow Street, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Our Children’s and Youth choirs present a concert of songs of light and memory
Saturday November 22nd, 7:00pm
Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow St. Waterloo
Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir
Andrea DeBoer-Jones, conductor
Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir
Greer Schatz, conductor
Tickets at the door on the night of the concert
