Divine Hair - “Mass in F”

On May 9, 1971, in the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York City, the Holy Eucharist was celebrated on occasion of the third anniversary of the Broadway musical Hair. The previous two anniversaries had been held in Central Park, but Michael Butler, the world producer of Hair, wanted a service rather than a concert, in a specifically committed building. The Bishop of New York and the Cathedral’s clergy decided that this sort of thing was one of the reasons for having a Cathedral and went along happily with the whole idea. Galt MacDermot’s Mass in F, sung by the choirs of St. Martin’s, Manhattan and St. Mary’s, Staten Island, furnished the music for the Solemn Eucharist, and the New York cast sang selections from Hair. The Cathedral Choir provided the Introit, Sequence, Offertory, and the Response to the Blessing and Dismissal.