On Monday, January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany, the church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, welcomed Schola Antiqua of Chicago to sing a choral meditation and Mass for the second major event of the parish’s Palestrina500 festival, a year-long celebration in honor of the fifth centennial of the great composer’s birth.
The choral meditation consisted of the following works by Palestrina:Hostis Herodes impie
Stella quam viderant
Magnificat on the 4th tone
Ave Maris Stella
Vergine Bella
Vergine Chiara
Miserere, Mei Deus
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary M à 6
Sicut Cervus
as well as a Spanish carol by Guerrero, Me fe, vengo de Belén.
The Mass featured the Missa Alma Redemptoris Mater, as well as Palestrina’s setting of the Offertory antiphon Reges Tharsis, and his equal voice setting of the aforementioned Marian antiphon.
On Friday, February 14, Sacred Heart will welcome The Gesualdo Six, who will sing an hour long choral meditation at 5:30pm, and the Missa Sine Nomine for the feast of St. Valentine at 7pm. For the full schedule of Palestrina500 events, go to palestrina500.org.
Tradition is for the young.
