St. Bart's Summer Festival of Sacred Music to Continue with German Renaissance Composers

The 22nd annual Summer Festival continues on Sunday, August 14, at 11 a.m. with a service of sacred music from the German Renaissance including works by Hans Leo Hassler, Gregor Aichinger and Michael Praetorius.

Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) was born in Nuremberg and studied in Venice with Andrea Gabrieli and was a colleague of Giovanni Gabrieli. He returned to Germany and in 1602 became chief Kapellmeister in Nuremberg. Much of his music shows the influence of the Venetian School, particularly his polychoral compositions.

Gregor Aichinger (1564-1628) was a Catholic priest and the organist to the highly influential merchant-banker family of the Fuggers in Augsburg. He was the first German composer to make use of the basso continuo, a stylistic transition into the Baroque period.

Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) was one of the greatest Lutheran composers in Germany. He served as Kapellmeister in Lüneburg and for the Duke of Brunswick. Although a large portion of his sacred music output was in German based on Protestant hymns, he composed Latin motets as well, many expunged of references to the Virgin Mary.

St. Bartholomew's Choir will sing Hassler's Missa Secunda, Aichinger's Regina Caeli and Praetorius's Salve Rex Noster. William K. Trafka will conduct.

IF YOU GO:

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music

DATE: Sunday, August 14, 2016, during the 11 am service

LOCATION: St. Bartholomew's Church, 325 Park Ave at 51st Street (Midtown Manhattan)

NEAREST SUBWAY: #6 to 51st Street and Lexington or E Train to 53rd and Lexington

CONTACT: St. Bart's Central, 212-378-0222

PRICE: FREE

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place each Sunday morning at 11 am at St. Bartholomew's Church during the summer months. At a time when most churches reduce their musical offerings, St. Bartholomew's Church provides outstanding sacred music sung by St. Bartholomew's Choir and Boy and Girl Choristers, two of New York City's most renowned choirs. Works include an array of mass settings from the 15th century to the present embracing a diversity of cultures from around the world. The music is sung as part of the Eucharist or Mass, the liturgical context for which it was composed. All Summer Festival events are free and open to the public.