Tu Es Petrus CD

The best and most succinct account of the life of St Peter is that of David Hugh Farmer in the Oxford Book of Saints (OUP, 1978). In his summary of what we know of Peter from the New Testament, he begins: ‘He was called Simon, a native of Bethesaida, near the Sea of Galilee, and a brother of Andrew, who introduced him to Christ, who gave him the name of Cephas (Peter) which means rock.’

Farmer concludes his account by remarking: ‘From very early times Peter was invoked as a universal saint, as the heavenly door-keeper, as the patron of the Church and the papacy, as one who was both powerful and accessible.’

The liturgy tells the story of Peter’s life, through music of exceptional strength and beauty. There is a rich abundance of proper chants for the feast of St. Peter, primarily for his major feast, shared with St Paul on 29th June, and also for a lesser feast, St. Peter’s Chains, based on the miraculous escape related in the Acts of the Apostles.

Most of these chants have texts drawn from the Gospels. The programme follows the sequence of events, from the apostle’s calling by the Sea of Galilee, to his declaration of faith, his triple denial, and the mission of love entrusted to him by Christ after the Resurrection, ending with his acceptance of death by martyrdom, head-downwards on a cross.

Track listing
1 Tu es Petrus/O Roma nobilis
2 Dominus secus mare
3 Petrum cephas ecclesia
4 Quem dicunt homines
5 Quodcumque ligaveris
6 Alleluia: Tu es Petrus
7 Tu capud ecclesie
8 The Passion according to St Luke
9 Alleluia: Surrexit Dominus vere
10 Aurea luce et decore roseo
11 Si diligis me
12 Petre, amas me?
13 Petrus apostolus
14 Tu es pastor ovium
15 Ego pro te rogavi, Petre
16 Petrus beatus
17 Surge Petre
18 Hodie illuxit nobis
19 Cum respexisset Petrus crucem
20 Tu es Petrus