10am Mass Preparation of the Gifts, “Ad Te Levavi Oculos” - G.P. da Palestrina (1525 – 1594)
"Ad Te Levavi Oculos," by G.P. da Palestrina, from Psalm 122, “I lift up my eyes to you, who dwells in heaven.” The lifting up of one’s eyes is reflected in the opening ascending motive of chant and continues to create a lithe and dance-like polyphony for the first section of the piece. In the next section, beginning with the third verse of the psalm, “Have mercy on us, O Lord,” the character of the piece dramatically changes, becoming more solemn and penitential in nature. Besides recalling the text of today’s Responsorial Psalm, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains, whence shall help come to me,” the theme also reminds us of the widow in the Gospel who perseveres in her petition to the judge, and sets an example for our own lives, which ought to be constantly directly toward God.
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11:30am Mass Preparation of the Gifts, “The Eyes of All”- Jean Berger (1909 – 2002)
German born composer, Jean Berger, sets verses fifteen and sixteen of Psalm 145 in this motet. Berger fled Nazism in the 1930s, and settled in the U.S., where he taught at various universities in the second half of the twentieth century. His music is an eclectic style, with French sensibilities, German techniques, and American influences. The text continues the theme of today’s Responsorial Psalm and Gospel: those who look towards the Lord will have their prayers answered in due season.
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10am Mass Communion Motet, “Salvator Mundi” - Thomas Tallis (1505 – 1585)
This motet is one of the cornerstones of English polyphonic tradition. Thomas Tallis' “Salvator Mundi” creates a dark and somber web of interlocking voices, reminding us of the perseverance and depth of our savior's love for us; as Christ endured the Passion and Cross, how much should we to endure in prayer to him.
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11:30am Mass Communion Motet, “Notre Père” - Maurice Duruflé (1902 – 1986)
The 11:30am Communion motet calls to mind today’s Gospel in which Jesus expresses to his disciples the necessity for them to unceasingly pray. Of all the prayers that come to the lips of Christians of every ecclesial community, the Lord’s Prayer is by far the most common. “Notre Père” is the final composition of Maurice Duruflé, a twentieth century Parisian composer and organist. It was originally commissioned as a piece for the assembly, but later modified to include a four-part unaccompanied mixed choir.
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