Houston Chamber Choir to Present Concert Inspired By Pope Francis, 9/15

Houston Chamber Choir opens its 18th Season with a concert entitled Musica Divina Sunday, September 15 at 4 pm at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Rosenberg (1416 George Street, Rosenberg, Texas 77471) and Tuesday, September 17 at 7:30 pm at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston (1111 St. Joseph Parkway, Houston, Texas 77002). The concert is inspired by the recent historic election of Pope Francis as head of the Roman Catholic Church and features works associated with the papacy, including Palestrina's Pope Marcellus Mass, Four Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi for men's voices by Francis Poulenc, and settings of Tu es Petrus.

Central to the program is Palestrina's Pope Marcellus Mass. Palestrina composed the mass in 1562 in honor of Pope Marcellus II. For some, Palestrina is credited with "saving" church music after the Catholic Church's Council of Trent attacked the elaborately composed polyphonic masses, common of Renaissance composers, fearing the words of the mass were getting lost. In Pope Marcellus Mass, Palestrina created a style that allows the words to remain comprehensible. Because of this - according to the story - composers were allowed to continue to write polyphonic music for the Catholic Church.