Third Sunday Series for 2024–25 Announced

Portrait of Palestrina holding his “Missa Papae Marcelli” (artist and date unknown, from Wikimedia Commons, public domain)

Last night Dr. Paul Ellison, Director of Music for the Church of the Advent of Christ the King, announced plans for the second season of Third Sunday Choral Masses. Readers familiar with this venue probably already know that these are not concerts. Rather, they are High Mass services for which music is provided. One of the earliest sources of that music will be Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, who is now considered to be the leading composer of late sixteenth-century Europe. However, the composers contributing to this series cover a wide band of music history. For this season, the most recent of those composers will be Harold Darke, who died in 1976.

The schedule for the works to be performed over the course of the season is as follows:

• November 17: Josef Rheinberger, “Missa Brevis,” Opus 83
• December 15: William Byrd: “Mass for five voices”
• January 19: Cristóbal de Morales, “Missa Caça”
• February 16: John Ireland, “Communion service in C”
• March 16: Harold Darke, “Communion Service in A minor”
• May 18: Palestrina, “Missa Aeterna Christi munera”
• June 15: Charles Villiers Stanford, “Service in B-flat major,” Opus 10
• June 19 (Thursday evening): Palestrina, “Missa Papae Marcelli”
• August 15 (Friday evening): Palestrina, “Missa Assumpta est Maria”

The Church of the Advent of Christ the King is located at 261 Fell Street, between Franklin Street and Gough Street. The entry is diagonally across the street from the SFJAZZ Center. This is an inclusive parish of the Episcopal Church in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. Those wishing further information may call 415-431-0454. For those planning to drive, free parking will be available in the gravel lot behind the church on Hickory Street.