Great Sacred Music

This is an hour-long program of words and music that explores the theme of love. The event is led musically by the St. Martin's Voices choir, directed by Andrew Earis, from St. Martin-in-the-Fields church in London. The Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, leads the discussion.

The music performed will include works by a range of composers, including Ola Gjeilo, a living Norwegian composer and pianist; Moses Hogan, a composer and author of The Oxford Book of Spirituals; and Thomas Tallis, a prominent sixteenth-century English composer of choral music.

Admission is free. Parking is available for $5 in the Bryan Center Garage at 125 Science Drive. ADA parking is available in surface lot next to the garage.

Come early at 6:00 p.m. to participate in the Chapel's Choral Vespers worship service, which will include music from the Duke Vespers Ensemble and St. Martin's Voices. Choral Vespers invites students and community members into the darkened Chapel to experience sacred music, scripture readings, and prayer.

St. Martin’s Voices is an professional vocal ensemble, who sing concerts and special events at St. Martin-in-the-Fields church in London, and beyond. Recent performances have included Mozart’s Requiem and Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and Beethoven’s Mass in C with Southbank Sinfonia. St. Martin’s Voices regularly broadcast on the BBC, including Radio 3 Choral Evensong and BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship and Daily Service. They also make regular national and international tours, including recent performances at Greenbelt Festival and visits to the United States—Minneapolis, Washington D.C., New York—and Johannesburg, South Africa.

Andrew Earis is director of music at St Martin-in-the-Fields, where he oversees the music program. Recent performances include Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Beethoven’s Mass in C with Southbank Sinfonia. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Music and Imperial College, London, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Manchester. In addition to his duties at St Martin’s, Andrew is a regular contributor to BBC Radio’s religious output as a producer of programs including Radio 4 Sunday Worship and Radio 3 Choral Evensong.

The Rev. Dr. Sam Wells has been Vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields since 2012. He has served as a parish priest for 20 years—10 of those in urban priority areas. He also spent seven years in North Carolina, where he was dean of Duke University Chapel. He is also a visiting professor of Christian ethics at King’s College, and a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Council that advises the G20 meetings. He is a regular contributor to Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4’s Today program. He has published thirty books, including works on Christian ethics, ministry, liturgy, and preaching.