Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bart's Contines 8/23

The 21st annual Summer Festival of Sacred Music at St. Bartholomew's Church continues on Sunday, August 23, at 11 am with Missa "O quam gloriosum" by Tomás Luis de Victoria.

Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) was the most significant composer in Spain during the Counter Reformation of the 16th Century. He is sometimes known as the "Spanish Palestrina," since he most likely studied with the Italian composer. A Catholic priest and a composer, Victoria held two major positions as Maestro di Capella in Rome, at the Pontifical Roman Seminary and at the Church of St. Apollinare. He eventually moved back to his native Spain, where he served as chaplain to the Dowager Empress Maria, the daughter of Charles V. His Missa "O quam gloriosum" is a parody mass, which uses multiple voices from a pre-existing composition, in this case, Victoria's own motet of the same name. Unlike the music of other more austere composers during this period, the music in this mass is filled with mystical intensity and has direct emotional appeal.

St. Bartholomew's Choir will be conducted by Jason Roberts.

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place at St. Bartholomew's Church at the corner of Park Avenue and 51st Street. Subway: 6 to 51st Street. For more information, call (212) 378-0222 or visit http://stbarts.org/music/summer-festival-of-sacred-music/for the complete schedule.