All Souls Day Mass

All Souls Day Mass

featuring G.F. Anerio's "Missa pro Defunctis"

Wednesday, November 2, 2022
7 p.m. Mass
St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church

Join the St. Maria Goretti Choir, under the direction of Marco Antonio Melendez, as we pray for the souls of all the faithful departed in the All Souls Day Mass. G.F. Anerio's setting of the Requiem, "Missa pro Defunctis," will serve as the Ordinary for this liturgy.

About the Composer

Giovanni Francesco Anerio (c. 1567-1630) spent most of his life in Rome and became a priest in 1616. He was a member of the Congregazione Dell’Oratio and was Maestro di cappella at San Giovanni in Laterano from 1601 to 1603. He also served as Maestro di cappella at Santo Spirito in Sassia and of Verona Cathedral. In 1610, he held post as maestro di musica in Verona.

Later, 1621 he went back to Rome and was Maestro di cappella of San Maria dei Monti. But he left in 1624 for Poland to become choirmaster to King Sigismund III of Poland at Warsaw. He died in 1630 on his way back to Rome in Graz, Austria. In his works he was the most significant progressive member of the Roman composers of his period.

About the Mass Setting

Anerio is a representative of the Roman/Italian school like Palestrina (1525-1594) before him. He was directly influenced by Palestrina as he served as a choirboy under the direction of Palestrina, along with Anerio's brother who later took over the Papal choir from Palestrina.

In this Missa pro Defunctis, Anerio made widespread use of the plainchant in a variety of forms. Each section of the Ordinary begins with an incipit set to plainsong and sung by a solo voice. What follows is either a homophonic or polyphonic adaptation of the Ordinary of the Requiem Mass.

Mass of Remembrance - SMG's annual Mass of Remembrance will be held on Monday, November 7, 2022. During this Mass, we pray for and remember all the loved ones who have died in the previous year, including members of our parish family.

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