Today is Trinity Sunday and we attended the High Mass at the Church of the Advent in Boston, where Edith Ho was the organist and choirmaster for 30 years. The church has a reputation for its stellar music program and in Carl’s opinion, is one of the pinnacles of church music in North America. The all-professional choir sings a polyphonic mass every Sunday and for Trinity, an absolutely beautiful setting by John Taverner (c.1495-1545) was sung.

Even though Edith has now been retired for 4 years, under the capable direction of Mark Dwyer, the choir still sounds very ethereal, especially the soaring sopranos.

For the communion motet, the choir sang Edward Bairstow’s “Let all mortal flesh.” It’s an anthem the LCH choir has sung many times but we unfortunately don’t have the rich resonance and acoustics created by a high vaulted ceiling like at the Advent.

At the end of the service, incense is used all through the singing of the Solemn Te Deum (today’s setting was by Edward Elgar in F) and there was so much smoke that the altar almost disappeared! It was also the first time I saw the two thurifers use the “Around the World” swing the censers technique in BOTH directions over their heads!