NEW SEASON OF SOLEMN VESPERS TO FEATURE PREMIERS OF CONTEMPORARY SACRED MUSIC IN ADDITION TO RENAISSANCE MASTERWORKS
CHICAGO, IL — On Saturday, September 13 at 5:15 p.m., the Monastery of the Holy Cross begins its fourteenth season of Solemn Vespers, a program which combines the monks’ traditional chanted evening prayer with Renaissance polyphonic masterworks.
This season will include several highlights, including a celebration commemorating the 500th birthday of Giovanni P. di Palestrina on Saturday, October 18 and a program of exclusively Latin-American composers on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Other programs will feature rarely-heard choral works by some of the greatest composers of all time, including Josquin Desprez, Orlando Lassus, and Tomas Luis de Victoria, performed by the monastery’s Choir-in-Residence, Schola Laudis.
In addition, Vespers will continue to include recent works composed by Prior Peter Funk, OSB, and by Kevin Allen, a renowned composer of Catholic liturgical music.
According to Prior Peter, the new works are particularly suited to the traditional sacred character of Vespers. Attendees in years past have been delighted to discover the musical treasures of the Renaissance, especially in their intended liturgical setting.
Kevin Allen works have been performed throughout the U.S. and Europe, including at Saint Peter’s in the Vatican. Prior Peter has composed four complete settings of the Mass and numerous sacred motets. He has also taught Gregorian chant in many settings, including a highly regarded online series on chant interpretation.
The entire monastic community, said Prior Peter, shares the hope that more of their fellow Chicagoans will experience the mystical sounds of this ancient celebration. All are invited and admission is always free. Donations are welcomed. The schedule for the 2025-26 season may be found here:
https://chicagomonk.org/solemn-vespers/<ahref="https://chicagomonk.org/solemn-vespers/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://chicagomonk.org/solemn-vespers/.
