The Golden Renaissance: Palestrina

The third release in the critically acclaimed The Golden Renaissance trilogy, celebrating the 500th anniversary of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina in 2025. The Grammy-nominated group are renowned as one of the world’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Thought to have been born around 3 February 1525, the Italian composer is considered one of the leading musicians of the late 16thcentury, with long-lasting influence on the development of church and secular music in Europe. The album is based around Palestrina’s famous Missa Papae Marcelli, the mass-setting in which he used a new style of polyphony and in doing so saved church music from being banned by the Catholic Church. Featuring a selection of motets honouring his time at the Papal Chapel in St Peter's, Rome and links with the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and including his most well-known motet – Sicut cervus.