We are very glad to share another update from the church of the Sacred Heart in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is marking the 5th centenrary of the birth of Palestrina this year with a special series of musical events, one every month.
On Friday, June 27, the feast of Sacred Heart, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Grand Rapids, Michigan welcomed the sacred music ensemble Floriani to sing a choral meditation and Mass for the parish’s year-long Palestrina500 festival.
Highlights from the choral meditation include:- Dum Pater familias from the Codex Calixtinus (12th c.)
- Ave Maria by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
- Bogoroditse Dyevo by Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
- The Magnificat quarti toni a 4 vocibus paribus by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94)
- And two compositions by one of the members, Giorgio Navarini.
The Mass featured Palestrina’s Missa Aeterna Christi munera as well as two of his motets: one of his Salve Regina settings and his Gloriosi Principes Terrae. The celebrant was a newly ordained priest of the FSSP, Fr. Michael Caughey
On Wednesday, July 16, the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Sacred Heart welcomed The London Oratory Schola Cantorum under the direction of NLM contributor, Charles Cole.
The choral meditation consisted of:
- Haec Dies by John Sheppard (1515-58)
- Salvator Mundi (1) by Thomas Tallis (1505-85)
- Ad Te Levavi by Robert White (c1538-74)
- O Sacrum Convivium by Francisco Guerrero (1528-99)
- Versa est in Luctum by Alonso Lobo (c1555-1617)
- Ascendens Christus by Victoria
- Jubilate Deo by Giovanni Gabrieli (c1553-1612)
- In Spiritu Humilitatis by Giovanni Croce
- Magnificat octavi toni by Luca Marenzio (c1553-1599)
- O Crux Ave Spes Unica by Giovanni Animuccia (c 1500-77)
- Super Flumina and Dum Complerentur by Palestrina
The Mass featured Palestrina’s Missa Tu es Petrus, as well as his Exultate Deo and Sicut Cervus.
The Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco, celebrated a Pontifical High Mass from the faldstool, proceeding into the church to Palestrina’s Ecce sacerdos magnus. His Excellency delivered a fantastic homily on polyphony and its role in both forming and saving the world.
