St. Philip Neri, Oratorio

and "The Representation of Soul and Body"

Heavenly Chant is dedicated to showcasing the treasury of the Church’s sacred liturgical music: chant, polyphony, and hymns. However, other musical genres have grown out of these styles, and out of other traditions of the Church. Oratorio is a musical genre which combines elements of traditional sacred music such as a choir and the organ to create a dialogue or narrative. Some have described it as a kind of religious opera. Similar to sacred music, oratorio is based on sacred Scripture or other religious themes. However, unlike sacred music, oratorio is not meant for use within the liturgy. The most famous work of oratorio, most popular around Christmas time, is Handel’s Messiah. 

The oratorio genre has an interesting connection to the sixteenth century Saint, St. Philip Neri, as this type of musical composition is said to have developed from the spiritual exercises held at the oratory of St. Philip. In the oratory, St. Philip organized activities which incorporated music in between sermons and discussions about the Faith. The Saint recognized the power that music could have on bringing people to God, writing in the rule for the Oratory that music should be used as a means of encouraging “the contemplation of celestial things” And at another time he stated that, "Practice has shown that by inserting the pleasure of spiritual music and the simplicity and purity of boys into the serious exercises done by serious persons one draws many more people of every sort."¹

Drawing in “people of every sort” was especially important around this time, as opera was beginning to grow in popularity. Oratorio was a means of creating a style of music which could be enjoyed by Catholics outside of Mass, but which were wholesome and spiritually edifying at the same time.  

The first known oratorio also has a connection to St. Philip Neri’s Oratory. It was first performed in the year 1600 at the Church attached to the Oratory, the Church Santa Maria in Vallicella, also called Chiesa Nuova. (St. Philip Neri had died only five years prior). This oratorio is called “The Representation of Soul and Body” and consists of a dialogue between the body and soul about spiritual questions such as the struggle with the vanity of worldliness. 

The musical piece I wanted to highlight for today is from Act I Scene I of this oratorio. It is a kind of monologue on time and an exhortation to live for the eternal rather than the things of this world. 

Text:

Time, time flies,
life comes to nothing;
and already I seem to hear
the last trumpet, saying:
Come out of the grave
scattered ashes and bones;
rise, souls, again,
take now your bodies;
come and tell the truth,
if it was a better idea
to serve the vain world
or the King of Heaven above?
Let everyone hear,
open the eyes and understand
that this life is a wind,
that flies away in a moment;
today it comes,
tomorrow it dies;
today it appears,
tomorrow it disappears;
so let each one try,
while they have time,
to leave whatever is in the World,
however pleasing in itself;
and work with hands, work with the heart,
because the fruit of good works is honour.

1. For a detailed history of the oratorio genre see Howard E. Smither’s excellent multi-volume work A History of the Oratorio.