Caught in the Current
A water-themed programme of sacred medieval and Renaissance chants and motets
Water is a metaphor for God as the source of all life but also of great destruction. Despite our best intentions, we are swept from the nourishing fountainhead to flail through the streams and rivers of accumulating hardships to the deep wrathful sea . . . and then beyond. This journey is reflected in the texts of our medieval and Renaissance music.
With our 2025 performances, we honour the following:
– The observance of Lent
– International Early Music Day (21st March)
– The 500th anniversary of the birth of composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525 – 1594). We have included two of his works.
We are offering this programme as a Lenten option every year. Here are our previous performances of it:
A free concert with donations to cover the expenses of the church and the performers, and with a couple of changes from the 2023 programme:
Saturday, 12th April 2025
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Parish Church of St Matthew, Chichester Road, Croydon, London CR0 5NQ
Parking available
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Performers
- Timea Gazdag – soprano
- Paul Alexei Smith – countertenor
- Esha Neogy – tenor viol
- Eszter Komáromi – tenor viol
- Marion Pilbeam – bass viol
If you’d like to know more about the pieces, please click for a pdf of the 2025 version of our programme notes:
Caught in the Current 2025 programme, texts, notes, bios
A Passion Sunday service based on and including pieces from this programme:
Sunday 6th April 2025
10:30-11:30 a.m.
Church of the Ascension Blackheath
Dartmouth Row
Blackheath, London SE10 8AN
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Nine pieces from the above Lenten water-themed programme, as part of a service with related readings chosen by Vicar Anne Bennett. The church’s music director and organist, Nicholas Mannoukas, in place of Paul Alexei Smith. Postponed from March 2020.
Sunday, 2nd April 2023
7:00-8:00 p.m.
St Mary the Virgin Parish Church, Lewisham, London
Performers
- Louise Eekelaar – soprano
- Paul Alexei Smith – countertenor
- Esha Neogy – tenor viol
- Eszter Komáromi – tenor viol
- Replacement due to illness:
Ruth Ridley – bass viol
Programme structure and options
The River
Psalm 42 / Sicut cervus (chant)
In nomine no. 2 à 3 (instrumental)
Thomas Tomkins (1572 – 9 June 1656)
Super flumina Babylonis
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525 – 2 February 1594)
Save me, O God
John Mundy (before 1555 – 29 June 1630)
Pater mi and Pater si vis
Francesco Soriano (1548 or 1549 – 19 July 1621)
The Sea
Veni in altitudinem maris (part 2 of Salvum me fac)
Jacquet de Mantua (1483 – October 2, 1559)
Quare tristis anima mea, Part 1
Alternatives:
- Mathieu Gascongne (fl. early 16th century) – used in the 2025 version
- Philippe de Monte (1521 – 4 July 1603) – 2023 version
Psalm 42 / Abyssus (set to the same chant melody as Sicut cervus)
Quare oblitus es = Quare tristis anima mea, Parts 2 (and 3)
Gascongne / de Monte (part 2 only)
Peccavi super numerum
William Byrd (c. 1540 – 4 July 1623)
Beyond
O cruor sanguinis (chant)
Hildegard von Bingen (c. 1098 – 17 September 1179)
Sermone blando (instrumental)
Byrd
Psalm 42 / Quare tristis
Alternatives:
- Melchior Franck (c. 1579 – 1 June 1639) – 2025 concert
- Orlande de Lassus (probably c. 1532 – 14 June 1594) – 2023 concert
Psalm 124 / Anima nostra
Palestrina