Cardinal Vincent will celebrate Vespers in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace on Tuesday 9 February. He will be joined by the Bishop of London, Dean of the Chapel Royal, who will give the homily.
Vespers will be dedicated to St John the Baptist as the Chapel Royal was built by Cardinal Wolsey on the site of a chapel of the Knights of St John Hospitaller, dedicated to that Saint.
Music during Vespers will be performed by Harry Christophers and his ensembles The Sixteen and Genesis Sixteen. Paying tribute to the rich and turbulent religious history of the Chapel Royal, the ensembles will sing Thomas Tallis’ Magnificat, William Cornysh’s Salve Regina and John Taverner’s ‘Leroy’ Kyrie.
Before Vespers is celebrated, the Cardinal and Dean will be in conversation on the theme, ‘Faith and the Crown’, in the Great Hall. Their discussion will be wide-ranging and will address the relationship between the two churches and the monarchy. Taking the Chapel Royal as their starting point, they will discuss its role in maintaining elements of Catholic worship to the present day. The emphasis will be very much on exploring the bonds between their churches and the dialogue they have had over the centuries, many of which are exemplified by the Chapel Royal during its often turbulent history.
Members of the public will have the chance to attend the service through a free ballot, which can be entered by clicking here.
