The Patronal Festival of St James is the annual celebration of the church’s patron saint, Saint James the Apostle (James the Great). It is traditionally observed on or around 25 July, the Feast of St James in the Church’s calendar.
At St James, the Patronal Festival is both a joyful parish celebration and an opportunity to give thanks for the church’s mission and heritage.
Music will be a particular highlight of this year’s Patronal Festival, featuring Mass of the Eternal Flame by the acclaimed Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds, one of the world’s most sought-after contemporary composers, renowned for his luminous, deeply spiritual, and richly textured choral writing. Scored for choir, brass quintet, timpani, and organ, this magnificent work brings both grandeur and intimacy to the liturgy. Described as a composition in which “the scale is large, the horizons wide, and key phrases have simply epic proportions,” the Mass reflects themes of faith, pilgrimage, and divine presence that resonate deeply with the witness of St James. Through its powerful combination of voices and instruments, the music will enhance the festal celebration, inviting congregation and choir alike into an atmosphere of awe, prayer, and thanksgiving.
