Saint Blaise was founded in 2008 by singers Andrew Mahon, James Tuttle and Richard Whittall. The ensemble is unique in Toronto, combining trained solo voices with fine choral musicianship. The group seeks to explore the area between solo and choral singing, performing both solo ensembles, and choral music with one voice on each part.
The three singers grew up in Toronto and received their early musical training in the men and boys choral tradition of the Anglican Church. This equipped each of them with an unparalleled understanding of and appreciation for choral music. Their common roots brought them together in June 2008 in order to found a vocal chamber group that would combine their skills both of veteran choristers and young professional soloists.
Saint Blaise's inaugural season includes three concerts at Trinity College Chapel at the University of Toronto. The first, From Byrd to Britten, on November 29, showcases Byrd's Mass for Three Voices and Britten's Canticle 4, the Journey of the Magi, as well as a wide variety of seasonal music for three voices. The second concert of the season, St. Blaise and St. Valentine, will occur on February 14, Valentine's Day, and will include madrigals and songs. To finish the season, Saint Blaise presents a concert entitled Motets on May 16, an array of motets and anthems taken from many ages, including works by Palestrina, Harris, Mendelssohn and Bach.
St. Blaise
St. Blaise, patron saint of the voice, was a 4th century bishop, physician and martyr of Armenian origin, who was beaten with iron combs and beheaded in 316. The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine records the following account of St. Blaise:
There was a woman that had a son dying, in whose throat was a bone of a fish athwart, which estrangled him, and she brought him tofore his feet, praying him that he would make her son whole. And St. Blase put his hand upon him and made his prayer to God that this child, and all they that demanded benefits of health in his name, that they should be holpen and obtain it, and anon he was whole and guerished.
It is this account of St. Blaise saving a boy choking that had led to his veneration in the Church as patron saint of the throat and voice.
The Blessing of the Throat
On February 3, the Feast of St. Blaise, the blessing of the throat is carried out using two white taper candles that were blessed on the previous day, Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation. The white colour of the candles symbolizes purity. Often, a red ribbon, symbolizing the martyrdom of St. Blaise, will be draped over the base of the candles. The crossed candles are held up to the throat, as the priest says the blessing:
"Per intercessionem Sancti Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo."
"Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
St. Blaise is often depicted in art with either iron combs or crossed candles.