Sunday Service

St Michael’s is a unique church in the heart of the city. Unique for its relevant, contemporary preaching that embraces and inner wellbeing as its core message.

Sunday services include a mix of traditional and modern presentations interspersed with inspirational music performed by world-class musicians.

St Michael’s affirms and encourages the best expression of humanity, not only through the Sunday service but though our wellbeing programs and our commitment to counselling and psychotherapy. We believe faith, spirituality and a meaning to life are vital ingredients for our health and wellbeing and that there is a need to get hold of a more authentic religious understanding.

Sunday services commence at 10am.
Free Entry

This weeks address:

Guest Artist: Rebecca Adler (Violin) 

Music before the service: Gavotte from the Partita in E major BWV 1006 – J.S. Bach (1685-1750) 

Music between the readings: Prelude from Quiet Girl Suite for Solo Violin (2013) – Charles MacInnes (b.1966)
This suite is made up of five Baroque-influenced dances and is inspired by Danish author Peter Høeg’s novel of the same name. The Prelude introduces the book’s protagonist – a violin playing clown who is being pursued by the authorities for tax evasion.

Music during the offering:  Meditation from Thais – Jules Massenet (1842-1912)
This cornerstone of the violin repertoire, this work comes from Massenet’s 1894 opera, Thais.  This meditation is played during a scene in which the character Athanaël, a Cenobite Monk tries to convert Thais (who is a devotee of Venus) to Christianity.   Athanaël, realises however that his efforts to convert Thais are motivated purely by selfish lust instead of higher religious calling.

The Postlude: Toccata – Th. Dubois (1837-1924)
This joyous toccata was written by the French organist and composer Théodore Dubois.  Dubois was a noted composer, conductor, organist, pianist and music educator.  He served as organist at Paris’ Église de Madeleine for many years as well as directing the noted Paris Conservatoire.

Artist Bio:  Rebecca Adler is a freelance violinist based in Melbourne. A graduate of the University of Melbourne and former student of Wilma Smith, she is a regular guest performer with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria, as well as frequent visitor to St Michael’s. Rebecca plays a violin made in 2005 by Adrian Studer of Nelson, New Zealand.