The Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome. (Source).

What a delectable treat it is to discover a composer of sacred music who really manages to capture something of the transcendent in his liturgical settings. Having just come across the work of Paul Jernberg, I must say that I am gobsmacked. Really. With his Mass of St. Philip Neri, Jernberg has done for the Latin Rite what Roman Hurko accomplished for the Ukrainians with his Liturgy No. 3. Finally, we have a modern polyphonic Mass setting that evokes the eternal, delights the senses, and inspires the heart with a sense of God’s glory. And in English!

I am sure that those more in the loop of liturgical news will be well aware of this recording from 2014, but it came to me as a revelation. My guess is that most Catholics are probably unaware that a musical setting this rich, hieratic, and flat-out beautiful has come to be in recent years. And no doubt, those with Oratorian connections and interests will also appreciate the particular Mass that Jernberg chose.

Do take some time to listen to the Gloria, the Kyrie, the Alleluia, the Eucharistic Ordinary, the Sanctus, and the various other excerpts provided on Jernberg’s own website. You won’t regret it.

What a feat. (Source).