This CD presents music ideally suited for a visit to Westminster Abbey on the Solemnity of Saint Peter the Apostle on June 29. The musical program is based on the three central services: Matins, Eucharist, and Evensong. The centerpiece is Byrd's Mass for Five Voices and excerpts from Stanford's Service in B-flat major, both of which connect the morning and evening services. The CD opens with Duruflé's 'Tu es Petrus,' followed by Philip Radcliffe's Preces and Responses.
The CD then features Ley's Psalm 138 and Stanford's Te Deum and Jubilate. Stanford's Service, composed in 1879, is characterized by a prominent organ part, symphonic elements, and the Dresden Amen. Byrd's five-part Mass was composed in the 1590s for private chapels. This is followed by Palestrina's 'Tu es Petrus', Psalm 124, Stanford's Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis. Walton's 'The Twelve', premiered in 1965, unites text and music at the highest level.
The recording concludes with Dupré's arrangement of a movement from a Bach cantata, which underscores the festive atmosphere of this performance. This brings the musical experience to a fitting close for the Feast of Saint Peter, the patron saint of Westminster Abbey.