Saint Philip’s strives to bring the finest quality choral music to its worship services by incorporating more substantial works directly into the liturgy. Our traditional “First Sunday Music” projects continue this year but with a slight tweak: they will support Major Feast Days.
This adjustment allows us to celebrate the liturgical calendar more robustly, while continuing our tradition of substantial offerings throughout the year. Many of these feast days still fall on the first Sunday of the month.
Like last year, our choirs will sing robust anthems and occasional choral masses on Sundays throughout the year.
This long tradition gives members of the wider Tucson community the opportunity to experience this wonderful music in a liturgical context, as it is offered for its original purpose: the adoration of God.
ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS
10:00am on Sunday, October 5, 2025
Herbert Howells, Collegium Regale, Te Deum, and Jubilate
To mark the first feast day in the program year, our choir will sing Herbert Howells’ glorious morning canticles written for King’s College Choir in the mid-century.
ALL SAINTS’ SUNDAY
10:00am on Sunday, November 2, 2025
Ēriks Ešenvalds’ atmospheric Saint Philip’s Missa Brevis with organ and orchestra adorns the All Saints’ liturgy. The annual performance of this mass has become an anticipated annual celebration for the parish.
ALL SOULS’ DAY
7:00pm on Monday, November 3, 2025
Works by Pӓrt, Ešenvalds, Tabakova
For our commemoration of all the faithful departed, the Choir of Saint Philip’s will sing Gregorian mass ordinaries, and evocative a capella anthems by Arvo Pӓrt and ĒriksEšenvalds, with soulful violin solos by Ellen Ensey.
CHRIST THE KING
10:00am on Sunday, November 23, 2025
Anthems by Paul Halley
Our choir marks the final major feast in the liturgical cycle, Christ the King, with rousing anthems by the prolifically talented Canadian composer, Paul Halley.
GAUDETE SUNDAY
10:00am on Sunday, December 14, 2025
Arvo Pӓrt, Music for the Mother of God
To reflect on the quietly joyful anticipation of Gaudete Sunday, we present Marian works by Arvo Pӓrt, including his iconic Magnificat for a capella choir.
EPIPHANY (transferred)
5:30pm on Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Benjamin Britten, Missa Brevis
The Saint Nicholas Choir and Saint Morwenna Voices combine to present a special mid-week Missa Cantata to mark the feast of Epiphany.
PRESENTATION OF THE LORD
10:00am on Sunday, February 8, 2026
J.S. Bach, Sanctus and Agnus Dei from the Mass in B Minor
Two complete movements from this great summit of Western sacred music are presented in the context of our Sunday morning liturgy celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple.
ANNUNCIATION
5:30pm on Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Benjamin Britten, Missa Brevis
A second mid-week sung mass will be presented by the combined youth choirs in honor of the feast of the Annunciation.
Saints Philip & James
10:00am on Sunday, May 3, 2026
Leonard Bernstein, Chichester Psalms
On Saint Philip’s Day, the choir will sing Leonard Bernstein’s immensely popular Chichester Psalms, first written for the Southern Cathedrals Festival in 1965, in the composer’s chamber vision.