Rare polychoral music from 1600s coming to Brooklyn cathedral

'Awe-inspiring music in an awe-inspiring place'

December 4, 2023 Mary Frost

Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph/St. Teresa of Avila, at 856 Pacific St. in Prospect Heights. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

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PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The rarely-performed, majestic sound of polychoral music dating from the 1600s Renaissance is coming on Dec. 8 and 9 to a century-old Brooklyn cathedral, the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph/St. Teresa of Avila at 856 Pacific St.

In polychoral music, multiple choirs are positioned at different locations to produce what has been called “one of the most magnificent sounds ever created.” The interplay of the separated choirs in a resonant, cathedral setting results in a rich “surround sound” that is impossible to capture on recordings.

This ambitious performance, called “A Polychoral Christmas,” is presented by Music at Co-Cathedral (MACC), the acclaimed music ministry led by Alejandro Zuleta. Cristina Maria Castro serves as associate creative director.

Four choirs will be located in separate locations during the performance — two from the MACC Ensemble, and two from The Unsung Collective, a Harlem-based music collective conducted and founded by Tyrone Clinton Jr.

“‘A Polychoral Christmas’ showcases the polychoral Venetian tradition known as ‘cori spezzati’ or separated choirs,” Zuleta told the Brooklyn Eagle. “This style of composition and performance was created in the early sixteen-hundreds in Italy and perfected by Venetian masters like Willaert and the two Gabriellis. In this magnificent music, several choirs sing from distant places to create a texture that immerses listeners in the most wonderful of musical experiences.”

The choirs will be performing Charpentier’s “Mass for Four Choirs” and “Te Deum,” which Zuleta described as “works that are at the pinnacle of this larger-than-life musical tradition.” A Baroque orchestra with period instruments, which performs under the umbrella of the MACC Ensemble, will be accompanying the choirs.

More than 300 Catholic school students were treated to an open rehearsal of rarely-performed polychoral music at the Co-Cathedral last week. Photo: MACC Ensemble

Sharing inspiring music with the community

Zuleta said a big part of the ministry is sharing music with the community, “in particular through events like our Student Open Rehearsals so that these musical traditions continue to inspire many generations.”

Last week, more than 300 students from St. Patrick Catholic Academy, St. Luke’s, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Academy and Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy attended the open rehearsal.

The 45-minute program was “really exciting for them — and also educational and a little entertaining. This is not boring classical music!” Zuleta said. MACC provides information about the program to students in advance, and then divides the rehearsal up into little segments for the students, he explained.

“We started them with one choir, then added another, and showed them the difference. We also included them in a performance version of Silent Night, where they sang a simple one or two notes,” Zuleta said, adding, “They asked a lot of questions.”

The restored interior of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph/St. Teresa of Avila is an inspirational setting for MACC’s upcoming concert of polychoral music. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

The splendor of the cathedral adds to the experience

The beauty of Co-Cathedral, which was fully restored following the turn of the century, enhances the musical experience, Zuleta said. MACC feels blessed to do such “awe-inspiring music in an awe-inspiring place.”

The cathedral is also an ideal setting for pieces specifically written to take advantage of the reverberations produced by vaulted ceilings and sound-reflecting columns. The cathedral’s interior “really enhances the quality of the vocal music that we perform there,” Zuleta said.

Initially founded to serve an immigrant population fleeing the Irish famine from 1846-1852, the parish now serves today’s immigrants, who travel to services from not only Brooklyn, but also Manhattan and Queens.

The current limestone and marble cathedral was designed in 1912 by Francis J. Berlenbach Jr., with gorgeous stained glass windows by Locke Studio and more than 125 diverse figurative and decorative murals. The beautiful structure, however, had fallen into disrepair by 2000. Starting in 2008, extensive exterior (by Acheson Doyle Partners) and interior (Evergreene) renovations began, restoring the cathedral to its current magnificence.

In a video about the restoration, Monsignor Kieran Harrington, rector of the cathedral, spoke about the impact of sacred art and architecture at the cathedral. “When I walk into a beautiful place, it has an effect on me; it touches me; it moves me in a particular way; which I think makes God more accessible, and I think that’s what a church should do,” he said.

Admission to the performances are free, but reservations are required. Tickets are available on Eventbrite here.