Active from 1956 | Genre Classical | |
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Albums I Will Meditate, What Hand Divine, Carols Old and New Similar Charles Wood, William Henry Harris, John Sheppard Profiles |
An interview with joel matter compline choir member
The Compline Choir is a nationally acclaimed choral group that chants the Office of Compline every Sunday night, 9:30 P.M. Pacific time, at St. Mark's, Seattle in Seattle, WA, USA. The Office of Compline is made up of sacred music including plainsong and polyphonic compositions, and chanted recitations of the Apostles' Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.
Contents
- An interview with joel matter compline choir member
- An interview with jeremy matheis compline choir bass and associate director
- Compline Last of the Divine Hours
- The Order of Compline at St Marks Cathedral
- Music Sung
- Recordings and Available Performances
- History of Compline Choir
- Other Compline Choirs in the USA
- Saint Marks Cathedral
- Songs
- References
An interview with jeremy matheis compline choir bass and associate director
Compline – Last of the Divine Hours
Compline, from the Latin completorium, or completion, is the last of eight monastic services sung throughout the day. These services were defined by the Rule of Saint Benedict.
The Order of Compline at St. Mark’s Cathedral
The Order of Compline consists of short passages from scripture (chapters), psalms, an office hymn, a canticle (Nunc dimittis), a litany, collects and additional prayers. The liturgy, as sung by the Compline Choir, is based on An Order for Compline, found as an appendix to the 1928 Proposed Book of Common Prayer.
The Compline service at St. Mark’s runs as follows:
(Listen now)READER: [spoken][opening prayer/collect; varies]Music Sung
The repertory of Compline Choir can be found in the online listing of weekly music presented. Generally (in addition to the standard liturgy) each week includes singing a new or different setting of the following: a psalm, a hymn, a Nunc dimittis, and an anthem.
Recordings and Available Performances
Archived recordings of Sunday evening services can be heard in podcast format. The radio station KING-FM broadcasts the service each week; this contributes to the precise timing of the start time. The Compline Choir also has made several recordings, which are available on CD.
History of Compline Choir
The Compline Choir was formed in 1956 by Peter Hallock (Nov. 19, 1924 - Apr. 27, 2014). Hallock, who directed and composed for the choir, retired in 2009. Dr. Jason Anderson (a Compline Choir member since 2004) became the second director of the Compline Choir. The choir is made up of approximately 18 men. A video of a rehearsal is available online. Media articles about the choir are available from the New York Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Seattle Weekly.
The Composer-in-Residence (since 2011) is Derek Curtis-Tilton.
Other Compline Choirs in the USA
Numerous compline choirs have been modeled after The Compline Choir at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Examples include choirs in Minnesota and Pittsburgh. The Boys Choir at the Cathedral of All Saints (Albany, New York) also sings compline periodically, usually the first Friday of each month. Episcopal Campus Ministry in Seattle also holds a Compline service at 9:30 on every Wednesday night of the academic year at Christ Episcopal Church in Seattle's University district.
Saint Mark’s Cathedral
Saint Mark's, Seattle is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. Saint Mark’s is also a parish church.
Songs
Round Me Falls the NightBlessed - Heavenly Light · 2009
Christ Upon the Mountain PeakWhat Hand Divine · 2015
The Lord Comes to His TempleWhat Hand Divine · 2015