For nearly 1,000 years, Rome was the largest and most politically significant city in the Western world. As the seat of the Bishop of Rome, better known as The Pope, here the finest music, art and architecture were cultivated in the region, leaving for us a treasure trove of vast riches still to be experienced today. While legends have been refuted regarding the myth that the Roman Catholic church nearly eliminated choral polyphony during the Counter-Reformation had it not been for Palestrina's Pope Marcellus Mass and its carefully set text, there is little doubt that the "Palestrina style" was and is the ultimate expression of this genre. Ensemble VIII opens our season with a signature "renaissance splendor" experience as we explore the music of Palestrina, Victoria, and others who sought to capture a glimpse of heaven through music.