Music as a prayer for the dead and dying

In the light of the tragic loss of life in the Australian wildfires (see below), and also as part of my occasional series of articles on music that means a lot to me, I’d like to introduce those of you who don’t know him to Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652). He was a priest and musician in Rome, and composed the world-famous Miserere, a musical setting of Psalm 51, a cry for mercy and repentance to God.

There’s quite a story to the Miserere, one of the outstanding pieces of late Baroque and early Renaissance vocal music. It was for centuries reserved for performance in the Vatican alone, allegedly on pain of excommunication to anyone who copied it or distributed it to a wider audience (although the latter may be a fable – there’s no concrete evidence). Be that as it may, it was only in the nineteenth century that it achieved widespread circulation. Since then, it’s become one of the most cherished (and most difficult to perform) classical pieces of its kind.

Psalm 51 is prayed weekly in the Liturgy of the Hours by Catholic clergy and religious, and is a common text in Masses for the Dead. I’d like to dedicate this article, and the partial performance of Allegri’s Miserere below, to the dead in Victoria, Australia, and the injured, and those who mourn for them. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, brothers and sisters.

The version of the Miserere below isn’t complete (it’s the first half of the piece). However, I chose it because it’s probably the closest to the authentic piece as played during Allegri’s lifetime. It’s performed here by the Taverner Choir. Listen for the antique musical phrasing, the choral embellishment, and the rare and unusual counter-tenor air. The lyrics may be found here, in the Latin as sung, and in English translation if needed (scroll down at the link).

Turn up the volume, and pray along, if you’re so inclined.

Peter