The Breaking of Bread: London

The second of three concerts, celebrating Palestrina's legacy and impact on sacred music worldwide on the 500th anniversary of his birth.

The Eucharist, the symbolic liturgical reenactment of the Last Supper, inspired Palestrina to compose some of his finest music. We bring the best of 16th-century polyphony to St James’s Church, Spanish Place, with a programme that speaks of unconditional love and eternal hope.

On Palestrina, Harry says ‘I have always regarded Palestrina as the master craftsman whose music composers of all ages have attempted to emulate. He shapes his music in a beautifully sonorous way using many suspensions but always coming back into the line of the music. However it is this perfect craftsmanship that can sometimes make Palestrina’s music sound all too perfect and occasionally academic. We have attempted to achieve real ebb and flow in his music, not clipping the ends of phrases but allowing the music to breathe, to convey the real meaning of the words and making our breaths part of the music as a whole. There is a wealth of word painting in which to indulge especially in his Song of Songs motets. Our aim has been to be sensitive to this wonderful poetry and inject an energy and beauty to our performances that I hope goes some way to honour Palestrina as the celebrated light of music.’

Promoted by Wigmore Hall