ABOUT OUR NELSON MASS CONCERT

When: Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 3-4 pm, Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, St.Charles, IL

What: Baker Memorial Chancel Choir, soloists: Meredith Taylor- Mollica, Margaret Fox, Bryan Kunstman and Antonio Quaranta and Metropolis Orchestra perform Joseph Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis ( Nelson Mass)

Who Benefits: Fundraiser for Baker Memorial Church organ re-leathering of the Great Division of our 1954 Moller pipe organ

Cost: Free will offering with $20 per person suggested donation

Description & Title for Event:
Sunday, March 22 the Baker Memorial Church Chancel Choir, soloists, Meredith Taylor-Mollica, Margaret Fox, Bryan Kunstman, Antonio Quaranta and the Metropolis Orchestra will present Joseph Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis or often referred to as the Nelson Mass. Written in 1798 during turbulent times in Europe with the French Revolutionary wars raging in Europe and the American Revolutionary War coming to its conclusion. It is a setting of the Latin mass with a title that can be freely translated as a “Mass in the Time of Fear.” The title of “Nelson Mass” most likely came about as a result of the historic Naval battle between the English and the French that took place at Abukir, off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast August 1-3, 1798. Admiral Horatio Nelson, commander of the English fleet, emerged as the triumphant victor. In 1800, Admiral Nelson and his wife, Lady Hamilton passed through Austria and stayed at the Esterhazy Palace. Haydn was employed there by Prince Esterhazy and the mass was performed in the Admirals honor. Soon after, the mass was known throughout Europe and beyond as the “Nelson Mass.”

The original scoring is unique. It calls for a battery of three trumpets and timpani, strings and organ. This is perhaps due to the lack of available wind instrument players at Esterhazy during that time. The organ, plays a prominent role in the music as it more or less covers the wind parts. Though the original title does translate as Mass in the Time of Fear, the music is powerful and hopeful.

Proceeds from the concert will go to re-leathering one of the four divisions of the pipe organ at Baker Memorial. The instrument is a 1954 Moller organ and currently 70 percent of the instrument still has the original leathers. The leathers are pouches that rest beneath each pipe and facilitate the air transfer into the pipe. As the leathers dry over time, the pipe and note no longer plays properly, or at all. A generous anonymous donor has provided a matching grant up to $30,000 to help cover the cost of this $55,000 project. We are hoping to match this grant dollar for dollar.