Update on the Palestrina500 Festival in Grand Rapids

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.

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.