St. James Westminster in London saw the return of a great community tradition on Earth Day. On the evening of Monday, April 22, St. James welcomed the London Pro Musica Choir, members of the Antler River Project, soloists, and their own church choir in a nearly sold-out and powerful performance of Oliver Whitehead’s world music-inspired Mass for All Creatures.
The musical work, originally created for the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4) by St. Paul’s Cathedral, is based on the Anglican Liturgy, with texts being drawn from the mass as well as Meister Eckhart, William Blake, and from “The Canticle of Brother Sun” of St. Francis himself.
While designed to be performed during a service of Holy Eucharist, this performance was a concert version of the work. The event also featured displays by many environmental organizations, tying seamlessly into the Earth Day theme.
As for the music, Artistic Director of the London Pro Musica Choir (LPMC), and Associate Conductor and Baritone Soloist at St. James Westminster, Paul Grambo, says how much of a thrill it was to bring back this great piece to London audiences.
“Performing great local music like that of Oliver’s, with local talent like Stephen Holowitz and the Antler River Project, and all that at a world-class level, is part of the mandate of LPMC”, says Grambo. “We’re excited to revive this work and look forward to its next performance on the Feast of St. Francis, Saturday, October 4, 2025. Mark your calendars!”
This performance was more than just a one-off for the St. James Westminster and LPMC collaboration. To the question of performing at St. James Westminster, Grambo says that St. James is so much more than just a venue:
“It’s our home base. We rehearse here, have our library holdings here, many members of the St. James Choir sing with LPMC, and of course we perform in the beautiful space. St. James and the wider Old South community are a big part of what LPMC is doing to build a strong, positive musical community while bringing great music to audiences in a current and relevant context.”
London Pro Musica is a 45-voice chamber choir now in its 54th year of bringing great music to London. In addition to the Mass for All Creatures, LPMC recently featured music of local musician and composer Rod Culham in the choir’s second annual Common Ground Concert, which takes place on Good Friday each year.
“The objective of presenting this concert series is to highlight sacred music in all its forms,” says Grambo. “London is such a diverse and vibrant city, composed of peoples from countless creeds and cultures. Our Common Ground series aims to highlight some of these sacred traditions, looking outside the Christian tradition, and thus underscoring the common ground we all share.”
To that end, explains Grambo, the last Common Ground concert, titled Green Cathedral, focused on the sacred found in the natural world.
Originally from Brandon, Manitoba, Paul Grambo has been a Londoner for 20 years and holds a masters degree from Western University. He credits the incredible community of St. James Westminster and musical leadership of Stephen Holowitz for fostering his love of choral conducting. Additionally, Paul conducts the Canadian Celtic Choir, another Old South based choir, and continues as a long-standing member of the Grammy and Juno nominated Elora Singers.
London Pro Musica’s next performance is Carmina Burana, on Saturday, June 8 at 7:30pm @ St. James Westminster Church, 115 Askin Street in Wortley Village. Visit londonpromusica.ca for tickets and more information.
HCN Press