On June 18, 2025, the Catholic Church celebrated the fifth centenary of the birth of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, one of the greatest composers of liturgical music in the Church’s history. At this event held in the Sala Regia of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo XIV called for a revival of polyphony in liturgical music.
Fifty years ago, if one attended services at a Catholic High Mass, one would often hear such liturgical music. If there were no choir, there would be the organ, often with the polyphonic music of Bach. Over the course of time, with the effort to create more “participation” by the attendees, such music was replaced by simple chant or even often banal tunes, which could easily be learned by the parishioners. These changes detracted significantly from the beauty of the services.
