6th Sunday after Pentecost 2025
Processional hymn: Hail, True Victim, Life and Light, 904
Recessional hymn: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, 900
Kyriale: Mass XI, 740; Credo II, 772
Offertory Motet: Anima Christi, Msgr. Marco Frisina
Hymn at Communion: Salve Mater, Carmelite Chant arr. Paul Thomas May
The motet after the offertory chant is perhaps the most famous setting of the prayer Anima Christi by Msgr. Marco Frisina. Monsignor’s setting can be accompanied with either strings or organ and alternates full choir with a solo voice.
Salve Mater is a hymn composed in the 11th century and exemplifies Mary’s role as Mother of all Christians. The hymn is structured with a refrain and verses. Text of the refrain reads: Hail, Mother of mercy, Mother of God and Mother of pardon, Mother of hope and Mother of grace, Mother, full of holy gladness. O Mary!
Msgr. Marco Frisina (b. 1954) is an Italian priest who was ordained in 1982. Msgr. Frisina graduated with a degree in composition from the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia and obtained his license in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He began directing sacred music in Rome in 1984 when he founded the Choir of the Diocese of Rome and has held numerous other music positions in service to the Vatican.
5th Sunday after Pentecost 2025
Processional hymn: My God, Accept My Heart This Day, 942
Recessional hymn: Lord, Enthroned in Heav’nly Splendor, 939
Kyriale: XI, 740; Credo: II, 772
Antiphon after Offertory: Ave Verum Corpus, Chant
Hymn during Communion: Festivis resonent, Chant
The prayer Ave Verum Corpus is a short Eucharistic hymn dating from the 14th century and attributed to Pope Innocent VI (d. 1362). During the Middle Ages the prayer was sung at the elevation during the consecration at Mass.
The month of July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord with its titular feast on the first of the month. The hymn sung at Vespers for this feast is Festivis resonent. The second verse translates as: While we, with tears and sighs profound,That memorable Blood record, Which, stretch’d on his hard Cross, from many a wound The dying Jesus pour’d.
4th Sunday after Pentecost 2025
Processional hymn: Soul of My Savior, 938
Recessional hymn: Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All, 899
Credo: II, 772
Kyriale: Mass for Four Voices, William Byrd (c. 1543–1623)
Offertory Antiphon: Illumina oculos meos, Orlandus Lassus
Chant: Anima Christi, Chant II
Marian Antiphon: Salve Regina, Solemn Tone
This Sunday the Offertory antiphon is a polyphonic setting by Orlandus Lassus. The text is from Psalm 12:4-5: Enlighten my eyes, that I sleep not in death. Lest my enemy say “I have prevailed against him.” Lassus begins with each voice entering separately with a large leap for the first interval–perhaps to convey enlightening. The latter two thirds of the motet are spent on the final line repeated over several times in different groups and shifting harmonic structure.
Orlandus Lassus (c.1532–1594) is known for the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school. He wrote over 2,000 works in Latin, French, Italian, and German both sacred and secular. Lassus along with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Tomás Luis de Victoria are the most influential composers of the late Renaissance.
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.
External Solemnity of Corpus Christi 2025
Processional hymn: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, 900
Hymn of Thanksgiving: Adoremus in Æternum, 970
Kyriale: III, 705; Credo: II, 772
Hymn at Offertory: Ave Verum Corpus, William Byrd
Communion Motet: Sicut cervus, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525–1594)
The prayer Ave Verum Corpus is a short Eucharistic hymn dating from the 14th century and attributed to Pope Innocent VI (d. 1362). During the Middle Ages the prayer was sung at the elevation during the consecration at Mass. Next to Mozart, the setting by William Byrd is perhaps the most famous setting of the Eucharistic themed text. In his setting, Byrd doubles the latter portion of the prayer which says: “O sweet, O gentle, O Jesus, son of Mary, have mercy on me.”
William Byrd (c. 1543–1623) became Catholic in the 1570s and he composed much music for the church against government ordinances. In 1605 the first volume of the Gradualia, which are settings of the propers of the Mass, was banned in England under penalty of imprisonment along with all of his Catholic music. By the time of his death he was seen favorably as a composer by both Anglican and Catholic alike.