The secret spirituality of Prioris, Pomponio and Palestrina
VOICES & SOFT INSTRUMENTS
Tutor: Deborah Catterall
St Martin’s Chapel, University of Cumbria, Lancaster
Reviewer: Chris Martin
An intriguing title. Difficult to demonstrate really and impossible to prove without written evidence concerning the meditations of their hearts as they wrote their music. Nevertheless, given that all these composers would have learnt much of their trade in the choir stalls and organ lofts of the great catholic cathedrals of the Netherlands and Italy, it is a distinct possibility that the spiritual atmospheres of these institutions would have rubbed off on them to a greater or lesser degree.
Deborah Catterall, without trying to prove that their personal spirituality directly inspired their individual setting of the texts, very effectively demonstrated in some of the pieces that the spiritual inspiration of the sacred texts was beautifully and deliberately reflected in the music.
This was very clear in Pomponio Nenna’s (1556-1608) setting of Tenebrae factae sunt, a responsory for Good Friday and describing Jesus’s crucifixion and death. The intensity of the opening emotional darkness, his loud and repeated despairing exclamations, the collapse of his spirit, the bowing of his head – they were musically all there. So too a wonderful hint of the resurrection at the last. No bare fifth, nothing minor, but surprisingly, a delicious major third.
Palestrina’s (1525-1594) Missa Papae Marcelli, similarly can be understood as reflecting a profound understanding of the words. Deborah very movingly described the Kyrie and the Agnus Dei as having “The quality of mercy [that] is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.” (Portia, Merchant of Venice). Just right for God’s mercy, and beautifully described in Palestrina’s soaring and interweaving lines.
However, I found that the other pieces we sang, Dei genitrix virgo semper Maria and Quam pulchra es, (Johannes Prioris,1460-1514), as well as Oime mi scacci (Pomponio) were both more difficult to deduce a spirituality from. Mary had nearly a page, I admit, but otherwise the music, for me at any rate, failed to reveal a convincing spiritual genesis although Pomponio’s frequent use of Gesualdo-like harmonies painted love, yearning and death in intense colours. I am not saying there was no such thing as a spiritual genesis in these texts. There may well have been, it just wasn’t obvious to me. I’m not saying either that we shouldn’t try to find our own spiritual meanings within the music – we most certainly should. This was a surprising lesson and insight that I was able to take away from the workshop; it is actually important to look for the spiritual runes in all sacred music of this period, whenever we sing it or listen to it.
Enough of that serious stuff! The setting was lovely – a modern and acoustically sound chapel in the depths of the University of Cumbria’s peaceful campus, a glorious sunny day, enough singers and instrumentalists to make a harmonious sound, if not a ‘joyful noise’, and from our esteemed leader, excellent tips for singing legato and breathing and producing good strong tone, and very importantly, reliable ways of avoiding a multitude of different pitches in response to ‘can I have an F’. Delicious cakes (thanks to Christine), comfortable seats (perhaps too comfortable!), and the sight of a wonderful-looking baroque organ all added to the experience of a good day. Maybe the organ can be factored in to the next NWEMF day there?
Chris Martin
Published in June 2025 Newsletter
More information about the day:
Three talented men who were inextricably bound by the musical constraints within the style of the day. What can we unearth of them as human beings, their lives and their connection to the divine, were we just to dig deeply into their music?
Johannes Prioris (c1460-1514): lesser known but superbly gifted with a fascinating style unlike any other composer of his era. His music beckons the spirit to lift softly to heaven, as incense rises to the heights of a church.
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) : incredibly well suited to the writing constraints imposed by the Council of Trent. His technical ability and spiritual connection marry in stunning fashion, culminating for our workshop in his Missa Papae Marcelli. We will look at a few movements from this Mass.
Pomponio Nenna (1556-1608) : brings more overt modes of expression in both sacred and secular music. His integration of life and spirit as one is there in his madrigals and his compositions for Holy Week.
Deborah, an experienced singing teacher, will also cover vocal and breathing techniques for singing this beautiful repertoire. In this short video, Deborah talks about her inspiration and focus for the day.
The Tutor
Deborah Catterall has been an early music specialist since her days at the Royal Northern College of Music and she now teaches there on a semi-regular basis. She is the lead tutor of the Higham Hall Early Music Summer School, and Conductor of Voci, and Dyffryn Clwyd Singers. She was a Musical Director of the Liverpool Renaissance Singers and the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, and has also taught at Chetham’s School of Music.
Deborah is also a soloist with the York Waits and sings regularly with Richard MacKenzie and Hugh Cherry (lutes). Recent performances include BBC Radio 3 as a soloist, and at the National Centre for Early Music.
Deborah lives with her husband, David and Yorkshire terrier, Charlie, in the Vale of Clwyd in North Wales.
