3rd Sunday after Easter 2025
Processional hymn: Be Joyful Mary, Heavenly Queen, 847
Recessional hymn: Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain, 844
Kyriale: Mass I, 696; Credo III, 776
Marian Antiphon: Regina Cœli, Antonio Lotti (1667–1740)
Communion Motet: Cantate Domino, Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni
The motet Cantate Domino is a setting of Psalm 149:1–2 by Baroque Italian composer Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni. O sing unto the Lord a new song: let the congregation of saints praise him. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: and let the children of Sion be joyful in their King. Pitoni’s work, like much of late Baroque music, is tightly structured in small phrases with two main sections and follows the general format of “A-B-A.”, also called ternary form. This form allows for restating of the initial text and for contrast in dynamic (how strong or quiet the music becomes).
Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni (1657–1743) was an Italian vocalist, organist and composer. He studied voice from the age of five and became a maestro di cappella (choirmaster) at Santa Maria Maggiore, Monterotondo, a historic church near Rome by sixteen. Pitoni held director positions at many parishes in Rome and was a prominent church musician during the late Baroque era.
2nd Sunday after Easter
Processional Hymn: On This Day, the First of Days, 945
Recessional hymn: The King of Love, My Shepherd Is, 874
Kyriale: I, 696; Credo III, 776
Offertory Motet: O quam metuendus est, Tomás Luis de Victoria
Communion Antiphon: Ego Sum Pastor, Heinrich Isaac (c.1450–1517)
The motet O quam metuendus est by Tomás Luis de Victoria is a setting of the Magnificat antiphon for the dedication of a church. This past week marked the 107th anniversary of St. Lawrence’s dedication. The text is taken from the description of Jacob’s Ladder in Genesis: “How awe-inspiring is this place! Surely this can be nothing else but the house of God and the gate of heaven.”
Tomás Luis de Victoria (c.1548–1611), along with Palestrina and de Lassus, is one of the greatest composers of the 16th C., famous for its ethereal polyphony. Ordained a priest at age 27, he lived in Rome for years, and assisted St. Philip Neri as chaplain of San Girolamo della Carità.
Low Sunday 2025
Processional hymn: Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain, 844
Recessional hymn: Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven, 933
Credo III, 776
Kyriale: Mass for Four Voices, William Byrd (c. 1543–1623)
Motet after Offertory: Hæc Dies, Jacques Arcadelt (1507–1568)
Motet during communion: Sicut Cervus, G.P. Palestrina (c. 1525–1594)
The motet Sicut Cervus by G.P. Palestrina is one of his most well known works and is regarded as the culminating example of Sacred Roman Polyphony. The text is taken from Psalm 41: As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. It is also the text that precedes the baptismal rite which takes place at the Paschal Vigil.
G.P. Palestrina (c. 1525–1594) is highly regarded for his contributions of Sacred Polyphony and development of counterpoint in the late 16th Century. In the post-Tridentine period he earned the reputation of the ideal Catholic composer for his success in reconciling the functional and aesthetic aims of Catholic church music. Palestrina wrote over 105 Masses and 250 sacred motets in addition to many other works.
Easter Sunday 2025
Processional Hymn: Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today, 843
Recessional hymn: At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing, 848
Kyriale: Mass in B-flat major, K275, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Offertory Antiphon: Terra Tremuit, William Byrd (c. 1540–1623)
Motet after Offertory: Resurrexi, Msgr. Marco Frisina (b. 1954)
Communion Antiphon: Pascha Nostrum, William Byrd
Hymn at Communion: Ave Verum Corpus, Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)
The Missa in B-flat major by W. A. Mozart was likely composed in 1777 first sung in the Salzburg Cathedral that year. As is common for Masses of this time, Mozart uses soloists in contrast to full choir to give variety to the composition and bring attention to the text of the prayer. One example heard in the Gloria: the full choir sings the Holy Name then the soloists echo that at a quieter dynamic and the full choir returns at a strong dynamic for “cum Sancto Spiritu”. The Agnus Dei is atypical for because it is uncharacteristically long. It shifts character for the “dona nobis pacem” with a fast a vibrant extended treatment while again alternating with soloists and full choir.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period and perhaps the most widely celebrated in the history of Western music. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition resulted in more than 800 works including Masses, symphonies, operas, and chamber works.
Palm Sunday 2025
Recessional hymn: O Sacred Head Surrounded, 837
Kyriale: Mass XVII, 762; Credo VI, 788
Hymn after Offertory: Vexilla Regis, Chant
Communion Antiphon: Pater, Si, Heinrich Isaac
During Passiontide and on September 14, the hymn Vexilla Regis is sung during Vespers. This hymn was written by Venantius Fortunatus (530-609) who wrote it in honor of the arrival of a large relic of the True Cross which had been sent to Queen Radegunda by the Emperor Justin II and his Empress Sophia.
Pater, Si, set to music by Heinrich Isaac, derives the melodic material directly from the Gregorian antiphon. In the musical tradition of singing the Passion narratives, as we hear at Mass on Sunday, Jesus has the lowest voice. In this motet, which takes the text from Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane, the voices are all set lower than an average communio by Isaac—perhaps as a connection to this tradition.
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.