The church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Gregory is located on Warwick Street in Soho. Built in 1789-90 on the site of a Catholic chapel pillaged during the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots of 1780, the church is attached to a fine house in Golden Square, Soho, built in 1685. Francisco Guerrero was one of the finest Spanish renaissance composers, as well as being a Catholic priest, and one with a fascinating history: after finally being able to visit the holy land in 1589, he was kidnapped by pirates who threatened his life, stole his money and held him to ransom on the return journey. A vast amount of Guerrero’s music is written for the Virgin Mary and in his lifetime, he was perceived to have quite a fixation about her, so much so that he was nicknamed ‘El cantor de Maria.’ In this intimate church on Warwick Street there is a stunning mosaic depicting the Assumption above the high altar.
Performers
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers conductor
Simon Russell Beale presenter
Programme
Guerrero Maria Magdalene
Guerrero ‘Credo’ from Missa de la batalla escoutez
Guerrero Ave virgo sanctissima
Guerrero Lauda Mater ecclesia
excerpt from Janequin/La Guerre