Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bart's Continues 7/29

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bart's continues on Sunday, July 29 at 11AM with a service featuring Arvo Pärt's Berliner Mass. Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is considered one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music today. He is often associated with the minimalist school and alongside his contemporaries Henryk Górecki (Poland) and John Tavener (England) has been labelled a "mystic minimalist." His style employs a self-made simple musical technique entitled tintinabulation characterized by two types of voices, the first outlining a tonic triad while the second voice moves diatonically in stepwise motion. This results in giving the music a bell-like effect creating a deeply meditative and other-worldly atmosphere. His Berliner Masswas composed in 1990 for soloists and organ and later revised for chorus and string orchestra.

St. Bartholomew's Choir, accompanied by a string orchestra, will be conducted by William K. Trafka.

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place each Sunday morning at 11AM at St. Bartholomew's Church during the summer months. At a time when most churches reduce their musical offerings, St. Bartholomew's Church provides outstanding sacred music sung by St. Bartholomew's Choir and Boy and Girl Choristers, two of New York City's most renowned choirs. Works include an array of mass settings from the 15th century to the present embracing a diversity of cultures from around the world. The music is sung as part of the 11 am service, the liturgical context for which it was composed. All Summer Festival events are free and open to the public.

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place at St. Bart's, located at the corner of Park Avenue and 51st Street. Subway: 6 to 51st Street. For more information, call (212) 378-0222 or visit their website for the complete schedule, http://www.stbarts.org/.