Gesu Organ and Choral Concert
Please join us in celebrating the Church of the Gesu's very first Organ and Choral Concert.
To celebrate the Church of the Gesu's legacy and recent renovation of its Hook and Hastings Organ, the St. Joseph’s Prep Community is hosting a concert in the monumental baroque masterpiece. The concert will be conducted by, Dr. Benjamin C.S. Boyle from the European American Musical Alliance, and the organ will be played by John Walthausen, Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Organ Festival.
When - Wednesday, January 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Where - The Church of the Gesu
Why - In late 1903, Pope Pius X called for a return to traditional liturgical music. His decision especially shocked American Catholics and was notably implemented in Philadelphia’s Gesu in 1904. Works by artists such as Mozart and Beethoven performed by professional musicians were replaced by Gregorian chant sung by a boys choir of parishioners and students.
Where - The Church of the Gesu
Why - In late 1903, Pope Pius X called for a return to traditional liturgical music. His decision especially shocked American Catholics and was notably implemented in Philadelphia’s Gesu in 1904. Works by artists such as Mozart and Beethoven performed by professional musicians were replaced by Gregorian chant sung by a boys choir of parishioners and students.
This concert will celebrate the music that would have been performed in the first days of the Church of the Gesu (and music connected to the Jesuit order), prior to Pope Pius X. It will combine professional musicians with a repertoire that was selected to highlight the heritage of the Gesu church and the restored organ.
Brief Lecture: Leo Vaccaro '05
Choir:
Daniel Schwartz '05, bass
Selected works:
17th Century:
Palestrina, Rocercare on the 5th tone and Sicut cervus
Charpentier, Beatus vir
18th Century:
Pergolesi, Stabat Mater Mvt. 1
Mozart, Ave verum corpus
Beethoven, Kyrie elesion (from Mass in C)
19th Century:
Mendelssohn, How Lovely Are the Messengers (from St. Paul)
Gounod, Kyre elesion (from St. Cecilia’s Mass)
Stanford, Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis Op. 115
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