On Friday, February 14th, the feast of Saint Valentine, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Grand Rapids, MI welcomed Gesualdo Six from London to sing a choral meditation and Mass for the parish's yearlong Palestrina500 festival.
The choral meditation consisted of:
Palestrina: Litaniae de Beata Virgine Maria a6
Antoine Brumel: Sub tuum praesidium
Josquin des Prez: O Virgo prudentissima
Johannes Ockeghem: Intemerata Dei mater
Antoine de Févin: Nesciens mater
Jean Mouton: Ave Maria, virgo serena
Josquin des Prez: Nymphes des bois / Requiem aeternam
Costanzo Festa: Quis dabit oculis
Jean L’Héritier: Sub tuum praesidium
The Mass featured the Missa Sine Nomine as well as Palestrina's setting of the antiphon Cantabo Domino and the Sicut Cervus.
Sacred Heart's pastor, Fr. Ron Floyd celebrated the Missa cantata. Here's a recap video:
And some photos:
On Tuesday, March 25th, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Grand Rapids, MI welcomed The Hope College Chapel Choir, of Holland, MI.
The choral meditation consisted of all music by living composers, with chanted psalms from that evening's Vespers between each piece by the Men's Schola of Sacred Heart:
Hear Our Cry, O Lord by Ben Krause
O Radiant Dawn by James MacMillan
Halo My Path by Josh Rodriguez
Set me as a Seal by Margaret Burk
O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen
Tota pulchra es by Jonathan Bading
The Mass featured Palestrina’s Missa Brevis as well as his Jesu Rex Admirabilis, and again, the Sicut Cervus.
Sacred Heart's pastor, Fr. Ron Floyd celebrated the Missa cantata. Here's a recap video:
The series continues this Friday, April 25th, when Sacred Heart will welcome the world famous Tallis Scholars from the UK who will be singing an hour long choral meditation at 5:00pm (*note time change) and the Missa Papae Marcelli at 7pm - a work that will acquire all the more poignancy from the moment in the Church's life in which it will be sung.
For the full schedule of Palestrina500 events, go to palestrina500.org.
