Allegri’s Miserere and Mozart’s Memory

On this Good Friday, a fitting help to our devotion is Allegri’s Miserere, his unsurpassed musical setting of Psalm 51, recited in Lauds (Morning Prayer) every Friday. Composed around 1638, under the patronage of Pope Urban VIII- the same one who battled Galileo – the sublime piece was performed only on certain occasions in the Sistine Chapel, its score held in great secrecy, adding allure to its mystery.

As the story goes, the secret held until a 14 year old Mozart heard the score in 1770 during his performance tour in Italy; after this one-time listen, he went back to his chamber and transcribed the entire piece from memory, returning to make minor corrections, while also transcribing the work for other instruments. Far from being criticized for what we might now consider copyright theft, the young genius was showered with praise, bestowed with the Order of the Golden Spur by Pope Clement XIV later that same year. (Others claim this story hyperbole, made up by Leopold Mozart, to gain fame for his son – but Mozart junior was a genius, and we should not put it past him).

Since then, the Miserere has been transcribed numerous times, including by Mendelsshon and Liszt, and is now one of the most performed of choral works, its beauty transcendent, one that be found even in the midst of suffering: Miserere mei, Domine, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam, Have Mercy on Me, O Lord, according to Thy great mercy…

And here is a performance in the Sistine Chapel itself, evoking the original – one can hear the reverberation in the huge space – with the annotations from Mozart in 1771:

And, finally, here is a new version by Voces8, which is, like most of their performances, sublime:

Deus, vere, miserere nobis! +

Carney’s Amoral Majority

After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→

A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop

As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→

Remembering Father Alphonse de Valk

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A Tale of Two Benedicts

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Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk

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Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully

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The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus

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Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace

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Payette’s Payout

I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→

Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów

We celebrate Saint Stanislaus today (+ April 11, 1079), in light of this Easter Octave, a bishop and martyr who accepted the episcopacy only at the direct order of Pope Alexander II. He proved a wise and courageous leader of his flock, put to death by his own king, Boleslaus, for rebuking the monarch’s ‘immoral[…]Continue reading→