"Miserere Mei, Deus" ("Have Mercy on Me, O God")
Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere mei, Deus”(“Have mercy on me, O God”) — a setting of Psalm 51 — was first sung in 1638 by the Sistine Chapel Choir during the Holy Week Tenebrae Service. Known for it’s famed “high C” soprano solo, these lines are answered by radiant harmonies. The famous ascent in the top voice sounds like a heart lifting its plea from the depths.
Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere mei, Deus”(“Have mercy on me, O God”) — a setting of Psalm 51 — was first sung in 1638 by the Sistine Chapel Choir during the Holy Week Tenebrae Service. Known for it’s famed “high C” soprano solo, these lines are answered by radiant harmonies. The famous ascent in the top voice sounds like a heart lifting its plea from the depths.
How does this help us pray at Mass? The Vatican II Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium calls sacred music a “treasure” that serves the rite, adding delight to prayer, uniting minds, and dignifying the action. The papal encyclical, Tra le sollecitudini, requires holiness, real artistry, and universality; Allegri’s restrained beauty keeps the biblical text at the center. The Instruction On Music in the Liturgy, Musicam sacram, teaches that participation is outward and inward; during the penitential act or communion, a choir can carry the psalm while the assembly prays it within. The Instruction on Sacred Music, De Musica Sacra, commends reverent silence in Holy Week: let the final cadence fall into quiet examination.
Before Mass during Lent, try reading Psalm 51 and listening to the piece. While the “Miserere” unfolds, breathe one phrase, “Create in me a clean heart,” allowing each alternation of solo and choir to become your inhale and exhale. The music leads repentance into hope.
