Palestrina and his Heirs: Cirencester

Explore of the music of Palestrina, performed by candlelight in Cirencester's majestic 12th-century wool church as part of the 2025 Cirencester History Festival.

For one night only, travel back half a millennium as we perform, a cappella and by real candlelight, in Cirencester’s majestic twelfth-century wool church to celebrate the 500th birthday of great Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94). Described by Giuseppe Verdi as ‘the real king of sacred music’, Palestrina developed a famously ethereal and polyphonic (many voiced) sound, written for the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel where musical instruments were prohibited and voices alone could provide depth of tone and harmony. The programme explores some of Palestrina’s extensive output and his influence on those who sang and learnt from him in the Eternal City with works by Allegri (composer of the famous Miserere) and Asprillio Pacelli, his predecessor Josquin des Prez, his Spanish counterpart Tomas Luis da Victoria, and three trailblazing female composers of the time – Maddalena Casulana, Rafaela Aleotti and Caterina Asandra.

Programme:

Palestrina: Assumpta est Maria
Palestrina: Kyrie from Missa L’homme armé
Palestrina: Gloria from Missa Papae Marcelli
Allegri: Miserere
Palestrina: Pater noster
Casulana: Morir non puo
Aleotti: Surge propera
Asandra: Salve Regina a8
Josquin des Prez: Gaude Virgo
Palestrina: Pulchra es
Palestrina: Quae est ista
Palestrina: Descendi in hortum mum
Pacelli: Gaudent in caelis a12
Victoria: Versa est in luctum from Officium Defunctorum
Palestrina: Caro mea