Nordstrand Kirkekor - Alle Helgens Messe

Egil Hovland's "All Saint’s Mass" from 1970 with texts arranged by Olaf Hillestad.

Through-composed masses (original masses written with no repetition of sections) are nothing new in the liturgical life of the church. Ever since the Middle Ages, composers have written music for the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, as well as motets and cantatas for the individual Sundays of the church year. Such music usually requires professional musicians and a good choir. While this practice is still alive and well in large Catholic churches, it has long since disappeared in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The reason is that the Protestants believe that these are parts of the service where the congregation should be central.

When through-composed church services have become more and more widespread in our Norway in later years, there are several reasons for this: the need for richer services for important Sundays in the church year, musical tasks for choirs and instrumentalists in a liturgical context and experimentation with new forms of service. Despite a richer display of music, the congregation has by no means become passive. In the same way as elsewhere in musical life, the church musicians have been concerned with creating forms of music where professionals, amateurs and listeners can meet in a fruitful collaboration.

In this church service, these three groups are gathered together as a congregation with a common desire to praise God in his sanctuary. With this as a starting point, the through-composed services are created as an interaction between the liturgist, organist, choir, instrumentalists and a singing, praying congregation. The congregation is assigned psalmsong, hymns and congregational response and shared prayers. The choir sings psalms of David, motets of the day, communion songs in addition to polyphonic embellishments of the congregation's hymn.

All Saint’s Mass was composed in 1970 on commission from Forum Experimentale, and became one of Egil Hovland's most performed works at the time. This is the first High Mass that has ever been recorded on a gramophone record in Norway.

Nordstrand Church Choir conducted by Terje Kvam, organ and brassband.

Produced by Per Inge Almås.

Only available digitally.