THE SAINT GREGORY INSTITUTE OF SACRED MUSIC
AT THE PITTSBURGH ORATORY OF SAINT PHILIP NERI
Oratory Liturgies
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Congregations of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri have a long and venerable tradition of supporting the tradition of sacred music. This tradition dates back to the time of St. Philip Neri himself, who loved the musical tradition of the Church so deeply that one early biographer comments, “take away from our Saint his delight in music, and you leave his image in our hearts mutilated, despoiled of much of its winning beauty.” St. Philip was a direct patron and spiritual support to a number of great musicians in his day, most notably Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, widely considered the greatest of the Renaissance masters.
As sons of St. Philip Neri, the Oratorians in Pittsburgh seek to carry this tradition forward in our own city. Relying on the leadership and expertise of our director, Nicholas Will, the Oratory is proud to offer the rich treasures of the Catholic musical tradition at our liturgies. A full range of genuinely sacred music can be heard at Oratory liturgies, from Gregorian chant, to 16th century polyphony of the Renaissance to reverent and theologically sound hymnody sung in the vernacular.
Outline of Music at Oratory Masses:
Saturday & Sunday 4:00PM Masses
Simple Gregorian chant, English hymnody, and organ masterworks
Sunday 9:00AM Mass
Simple Gregorian chant, English hymnody, sacred solo vocal music, and organ masterworks
Sunday 11:00AM Mass
More advanced Gregorian chant, choral polyphony, and organ masterworks
Sunday 9:00PM Mass
Quiet Mass with no organ
Feast Days & Solemnities
The 5:15PM Mass on feast days features simple Gregorian chant and organ music in the vein of the Church’s long-standing tradition of the “Organ Mass.” On solemnities, the presence of a cantor further enhances congregational singing.
