Music for May 2026

Scroll down to the end to read some Notes from the Choir Gallery, describing the musical repertoire for this month's celebrations of St Philip Neri.

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Sunday 3^rd May: EASTER V

MASS:
Prelude: Herzlich thut micher freuen Brahms.
Missa Jesu nostra redemptio Palestrina.
Regina caeli (à 8) Guerrero.
O quam suavis Vivanco.
‍Prelude & Fugue in A minor Brahms.‍

VESPERS & PROCESSION OF THE BVM:
Ad regias Agni dapes Russill.  
‍Magnificat Tone 2 à 5 Lassus.
‍Ave Maria (à 4)  attrib. Handl.
‍Versos per l’Entrada de la ‘Salve Regina’ Lopez.

Sunday 10^th May: EASTER VI

MASS:
Allegretto Whitlock.
‍Spatzenmesse (K. 220) Mozart.
‍Ardens est cor meum Dering.
Ego sum qui sum Giovanni Gabrieli.  
‍Postlude in D minor  Stanford.‍

VESPERS:
Ad regias Agni dapes Washington.
‍Magnificat Tone 8 à 4 & 6 Russill.
Christus resurgens Lassus.
Prelude on atheme of Gibbons (Song 22) Stanford.

Wednesday 13^th May: First Vespers of the Ascension

VESPERS:
Deus in adjutorium meum (I) Zacharia.
‍Salutis humanae Sator Russill.
‍Magnificat Tone 6 à 8  Bevan.
‍O Rex gloriae Marenzio.
Prelude: Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn (630) Bach.

Thursday 14^th May: THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

MASS:
Allegretto (Sonata No. 4) Mendelssohn.
Missa Corrente Foggia.
O Rex gloriae Palestrina.
‍O bone Jesu (à 5) Dering.
Allegro maestoso e vivace (Sonata No. 4) Mendelssohn.

Sunday 17^th May: EASTER VII

MASS:
Prelude: Nun ruhen alle Walder  Van Oortmerssen.
‍Missa Ascendens Christus Victoria.
‍Ascendens Christus in altum Victoria.
Regina caeli Sweelinck.
‍Toccata V: Tutta de salti Kerll.‍

VESPERS:
Salutis humanae Sator Gregorian chant.
‍Magnificat Tone 8 à 5 (56/1619) Lassus.
Crucem sanctam subiit Palestrina.  
Electa ut sol Dallier.

Sunday 24^th May: PENTECOST

MASS:
Prelude: Komm, heiliger Geist (200) Buxtehude.
‍Missa Sancti Nicolai Haydn.
Dum complerentur Palestrina.
‍Veni Creator Spiritus Attwood.
Fantasia: Komm, heiliger Geist (651) Bach.‍

VESPERS:
Deus in adjutorium meum (II) Zacharia.
Veni Creator Washington.
Magnificat Tone 1 à 6  Bevan.
Hodie completi sunt Andrea Gabrieli.
Regina caeli Soriano.
Prelude: Komm, Gott Schöpfer (667) Bach.

Monday 25^th May: First Vespers of St Philip

VESPERS:
Deus in adjutorium Croce.
‍Pangamus Nerio  D. Scarlatti.
‍Magnificat primi toni II (1576) Victoria.
Florete flores beati Nerii Allegri.
Regina caeli (à 8) Bertolusi.
Choral Song  S. S. Wesley

Tuesday 26^th May: OUR HOLY FATHER ST PHILIP (with period brass)

MASS:
Chorale Prelude: Jesu hilf siegen Karg-Elert.
Caritas Dei Matucci.
‍Missa In illo tempore Lassus.
‍Pangamus Nerio Wingham.
O sacrum convivium  Handl.
‍Marche triomphale Karg-Elert.

Sunday 31^st May: TRINITY

MASS:
Adagio e dolce (Sonata No. 3) Bach.
‍Missa Laetatus sum Victoria.
O beata et gloriosa Trinitas Palestrina.
‍Libera nos, salva nos I Sheppard.
Triptyque (Office of Trinity) Tournemire.‍

VESPERS:
Deus in adjutorium meum Victoria.
Iam sol recedit Russill.
‍Magnificat Tone 4 Aguilera.
Tibi laus Philips.
Prelude in C major (547i) Bach.

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Notes from the Choir Gallery - May 2026

The musical programme for this year’s celebrations of the Feast of Our Holy Father St Philip, which will be graced by the presence of our new Archbishop for First Vespers (25^th May) and of Cardinal Nichols for Mass (26^th May), has some features meriting comment. At Vespers, the setting for the office hymn Pangamus Nerio will be by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757),which was introduced last year. Though Scarlatti is most celebrated for his 555 keyboard sonatas, he wrote operas and secular cantatas, and some church music, including a superb 10-voice Stabat mater. We have only one office hymn by him, an Iste confessor, which in Rome has been traditionally used also for Pangamus Nerio. It makes a charming substitute for the home-grown 19^th-century setting we have long previously used.  

During St Philip’s life and after, the Roman Oratory was something of a kindly refuge for Papal musicians. According to historical accounts and tradition Palestrina died in St Philip’s arms, and members of the Papal Choir were buried in a tomb in the Oratory church, Santa Maria in Vallicella. One of these was Gregorio Allegri, who died in 1652. As the motet at Solemn Benediction we will hear his Florete flores beati Nerii, published in 1621, to a text in praise of St Philip adapted from the Communion of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The Mass setting on 26^th May will be Missa In illo tempore from Monteverdi’s published collection of 1610, which also includes the celebrated Vespers. The Mass is written in polyphonic style, based on a motet by Gombert (c.1495 – c. 1560), rather than the flamboyant baroque style of the Vespers. Although the technique is essentially old-fashioned, Monteverdi’s use of it is highly individual and richly serene. Its glowing 6-voice textures will be underpinned by the use of period brass instruments – cornetts, sackbuts and a bass dulcian.