Music at Advent

Music is an integral part of worship at the Church of the Advent of Christ the King. For almost five hundred years, Anglican church music has sought to proclaim the Christian faith. This rich and deeply spiritual musical heritage enhances the beauty and solemnity of our services. Added to our Anglican heritage is music from the Catholic tradition which preceded it.

Church music is an art form that is designed to fulfill specific functions in the liturgy, and can be considered to be a form of prayer. The music at the Church of the Advent speaks to our intellect, our emotions, and to parts of our soul beyond the reach of the conscious mind. It is a window to the Divine Presence.

The service music at our eleven o'clock High Mass on Sundays usually includes an organ prelude and postlude, propers for the specific day sung to the traditional Gregorian chants in Latin, a psalm sung to Anglican chant, an anthem at the offertory, a motet at communion music, and hymns. These regular parts of the service are often augmented by special music on solemn feast days and other changes in the music reflect changes in the services as we move through the liturgical calendar.

Schola Adventus sings the propers of the mass, an anthem at the Offertory and a motet at Communion. The congregation and choir sing hymns from the Hymnal 1982, and the ordinary of the mass to settings which change with the liturgical year. The hymns and organ music reflect the highest standards of liturgical art. At High Mass on Sunday mornings and mid-week Masses for Feast Days, we offer to God the best we can.

Schola Adventus

Schola Adventus is the professional choir at Church of the Advent of Christ the King. They have quickly established a reputation as one of the Bay Area’s premier a cappella choral ensembles, specializing in Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony through to premiers of commissioned works by composers of today. The choir's extensive repertoire includes Gregorian chant as well as the works of composers from all eras of the Western Church. These include Josquin, Tallis, Palestrina, Lassus, Victoria, Byrd, Victoria, Mozart, Rheinberger, Stanford, Howells, Poulenc, Messiaen and Pärt. They have given premiers of works by Thomas Bold, David Conte, Paul M. Ellison, Joshua Fishbein and Joel Morris. Church of the Advent of Christ the King is one of the few places in the greater Bay Area where music of this quality can regularly be heard as an integral part of the traditional western liturgy for which it was composed. This is “Music in the Context for which it was Written.”

Music during the Summer Months.

Schola Adventus will be on vacation from 7/1 to 9/5 inclusive, with one exception. They will return to sing for the Feast of the Assumption, Sunday 8/15. In their absence, our volunteer Schola Cantorum will be singing on Sunday mornings. This group comprises male volunteers who sing regularly at the twice-monthly Latin Mass on Saturday evenings. I would also like to establish a sister womens' chant choir to assist in singing on Sunday mornings during the summer. I'd like to keep the two groups separate, since I think it is more authentic to do so. So I'm calling on any female volunteers who would like to sing in this group to be in touch with me. It is important to have a basic knowledge of chant notation (square note notation), and to be able to carry a tune. A workable goal would be for the group to sing on the second and fourth Sundays of August, 8/8 and 8/22. I would plan on holding a rehearsal/audition session prior to that on a date to be arranged in late July. In order for the group to be viable, we need at least four singers. please let me know if you would like to be considered for this group. You can contact me at music@advent-sf.org