Notes About The Music

Ss. Peter & Paul 2025

Processional hymn: Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest, 833
Recessional hymn: Holy God, We Praise Thy Name, 881
Kyriale: Mass III, 705; Credo II, 772

Motet after Offertory: Tu Es Petrus, Rev. Michael Haller (1840–1915)
Communion Antiphon: Tu Es Petrus, Heinrich Isaac

Both choral works for this Sunday use the text Tu Es Petrus, which is the communion antiphon for the Feast of Ss. Peter & Paul. Rev. Michael Haller sets the text in a simple four part hymn style. While the setting by Heinrich Isaac takes its inspiration from the original Gregorian melody. Isaac begins with the incipit from the chant and each voice enters individually; the bass voice has keeps the melody throughout. Isaac illustrates building—“…I will build my church.”—by having each voice stack on top of one another and form the only static chord in the middle of this short motet.

Heinrich Isaac (c.1450–1517) was a Renaissance composer from the South Netherlandish region. His output was rivaled only by Orlandus Lassus in number and variety of composition. Most notable of his collections is Choralis Constantinus which contains nearly 400 Gregorian chant based motets of propers for the Mass.