In the Year of Our Lord 2025

Presents

A Year-Long Jubilee Celebrating
the quincentennial Birthday of

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

The Preeminent Composer
of the Catholic Church

Music as it Was Meant to Be Heard

About Palestrina 500

In 2025, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Grand Rapids, MI will host a year-long choral festival called Palestrina 500, celebrating the quincentennial birthday of the great Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94). This anniversary provides our parish a lens through which we can promote the good, true, and beautiful to our greater community.

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Palestrina & His Influence

Born in 1525, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian composer of late Renaissance music. The central representative of the Roman School, with Orlande de Lassus and Tomás Luis de Victoria, Palestrina is considered the leading composer of late 16th-century Europe.

Read About The Composer

Ensembles

The Tallis Scholars
From: London, United Kingdom

The Tallis Scholars have done more than any other group to establish sacred vocal music of the Renaissance as one of the great repertoires of Western classical music.

Apr 25
The Gesualdo Six
From: London, United Kingdom

The Gesualdo Six is an award-winning British vocal ensemble comprising some of the UK’s finest consort singers, directed by Owain Park.

Underwritten in memory of June Hamersma by her family
Visit Their Website
Feb 14
Schola Antiqua
From: Chicago, Illinois

Schola Antiqua is a Chicago-based professional early music collective, which prepares and performs insightful and wide-ranging programs of pre-modern music.

Jan 6
Floriani
From: Phoenix, Arizona

Floriani is a men’s vocal ensemble dedicated to serving the Church and saving the culture through the beauty of sacred music.

Jun 27
London Oratory Schola
From: London, United Kingdom

The Schola Cantorum of The London Oratory School gives Catholic boys the opportunity of a choral education from ages 7 to 18.

Jul 16
His Majesty's Men
From: Chicago, Illinois

His Majesty's Men sing countertenor, tenor and bass, a voicing which enables the group to come close to the original sound and performing pitch of much early vocal music.

Aug 15
Theatre of Early Music
From: Toronto, Ontario

The Theatre of Early Music are sought-after interpreters of magnificent yet neglected choral repertoire from four centuries.

Oct 7
Vox GR
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Vox GR is the premier professional choral ensemble in West Michigan, performing a wide repertoire of choral music stretching across all eras.

May 29
Schola Cantorum Detroit
From: Detroit, Michigan

The Schola Cantorum Detroit is an ensemble of vocal and choral professionals advancing sacred song through performance, and education.

Nov 3
Hope College Chapel Choir
From: Holland, Michigan

The Hope College Chapel Choir is a 37-member SATB ensemble. Composed of students across various majors, the Chapel Choir is united by their love of music and commitment to communicating stories.

Mar 25
Gaudete
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan

A premier choral ensemble based in Grand Rapids, MI and dedicated to spreading the riches of the Catholic faith through excellently performing Her incomparably beautiful sacred music.

Sep 15
Sacred Heart Parish Choir
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan

As the great conclusion to this festival, all of Sacred Heart's parish choirs, community musicians, and musical friends will join together to sing Mass and Vespers for the Immaculate Conception.

Dec 8
$65,217
raised of $150,000 Goal

Help Fund Palestrina 500

Donate today

If you're interested in underwriting an event, please contact Mr. Jonathan Bading at musicdirector@shgr.org

Events in 2025

Learn More
January
6
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
The Epiphany of Our Lord
Schola Antiqua of Chicago
February
14
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
Feast of Saint Valentine
The Gesualdo Six
March
25
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
Annunciation of Our Lady
Hope College Chapel Choir
April
25
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
Friday within the Paschal Octave
The Tallis Scholars
May
29
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
The Ascension Of Our Lord
Vox GR
June
27
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
Feast of the Sacred Heart
Floriani
July
16
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
London Oratory Schola
August
15
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
The Assumption of Our Lady
His Majesty's Men
Spetember
15
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady
Gaudete
October
7
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
The Theatre of Early Music
November
3
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
All Souls' Day (Transferred)
Schola Cantorum Detroit
December
8
151 Garfield Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
7:00PM
the Immaculate Conception Our Lady
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Choir

Promoting Faith, Bringing Hope,&
Fostering Charity

About Sacred Heart Parish

We are a community of traditional Catholics striving to live out our faith through the Sacraments as we worship, pray, serve, and learn together. We are proud to be a part of the West Side neighborhood of Grand Rapids, instructing in the faith, bringing hope, and fostering charity just like our Polish founders did over 100 years ago.

Donate to Palestrina 500

Our Sponsors

Thank you to all of our sponsors without whom this year long festival would not be possible. We are still in need of funding. If you are interested in seeing this project come to life, please consider donating today.

Donate Today

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