Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Written on commission from the Benedict XVI Institute, the Messe des Malades ("Mass for the Sick") and the Requiem for the Forgotten of Frank La Rocca falls squarely in the Catholic musical tradition. La Rocca was deliberate in this, creating music meant specifically for the liturgy rather than both sacred and secular settings. There is not a lot of variety in tempo and mood throughout the recording, which gets a little monotonous in this hour-plus release, but they will certainly hold an audience's attention as stand-alone performances. The Benedict XVI Choir is well-balanced and in good voice, but it is overpowered at times by the organ in the Messe des Malades; a larger choir would benefit the voice-leading in the choir, which contains interesting harmonic ideas that deserve to be clearly heard. The choir gets the middle work Diffusa est gratia (Offertory of the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary) to itself and is joined by organist Michael T.C. Hey and the low strings and harp of the Benedict XVI Orchestra for the Requiem for the Forgotten, and the balance between the musicians and choir is much better, highlighting the singers as well as La Rocca's harmonization, especially between the strings and choir. Of particular interest here is the third movement, "Commemoration: A Hymn for Ukraine," once again for a cappella choir. The poem by James Matthew Wilson was written for this work as Ukraine was globally topical in 2023 and 2024 and is a tribute to beatified Greek Catholic priest Andrei Ischak, who remained in the path of the retreating Red Army and was executed in 1941. Its dark, despairing tone will likely resonate with listeners beyond its Ukrainian-centric themes.
© Keith Finke /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr124,99/month
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - Michael T.C. Hey, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - Michael T.C. Hey, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - Michael T.C. Hey, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - Michael T.C. Hey, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - Michael T.C. Hey, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - Michael T.C. Hey, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - James Matthew Wilson, Lyricist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - John Ramseyer, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Anonymous, Lyricist - Richard Sparks, Conductor, MainArtist - Frank La Rocca, Composer - The Benedict XVI Choir, Choir, MainArtist - The Benedict XVI Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - John Ramseyer, MainArtist - Lumen Verum Music, MusicPublisher
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Album review
Written on commission from the Benedict XVI Institute, the Messe des Malades ("Mass for the Sick") and the Requiem for the Forgotten of Frank La Rocca falls squarely in the Catholic musical tradition. La Rocca was deliberate in this, creating music meant specifically for the liturgy rather than both sacred and secular settings. There is not a lot of variety in tempo and mood throughout the recording, which gets a little monotonous in this hour-plus release, but they will certainly hold an audience's attention as stand-alone performances. The Benedict XVI Choir is well-balanced and in good voice, but it is overpowered at times by the organ in the Messe des Malades; a larger choir would benefit the voice-leading in the choir, which contains interesting harmonic ideas that deserve to be clearly heard. The choir gets the middle work Diffusa est gratia (Offertory of the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary) to itself and is joined by organist Michael T.C. Hey and the low strings and harp of the Benedict XVI Orchestra for the Requiem for the Forgotten, and the balance between the musicians and choir is much better, highlighting the singers as well as La Rocca's harmonization, especially between the strings and choir. Of particular interest here is the third movement, "Commemoration: A Hymn for Ukraine," once again for a cappella choir. The poem by James Matthew Wilson was written for this work as Ukraine was globally topical in 2023 and 2024 and is a tribute to beatified Greek Catholic priest Andrei Ischak, who remained in the path of the retreating Red Army and was executed in 1941. Its dark, despairing tone will likely resonate with listeners beyond its Ukrainian-centric themes.
© Keith Finke /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 01:07:53
- 2 Digital booklets
- Main artists: The Benedict XVI Choir The Benedict XVI Orchestra Richard Sparks
- Composer: Frank La Rocca
- Label: Cappella Records
- Genre: Classical
2024 Cappella Records 2024 Cappella Records
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.
Playlists