ast name from that of his native town. His parents were
of humble station in life, but, beyond this fact, we know little that
is reliable about his youth or early education. In 1540 he went to
Rome, and became a pupil at the music school of Claudio Goudimel, a
French composer, who turned Protestant, and perished in the massacre of
St. Bartholomew's Day. Palestrina appears to have returned to his
birthplace when he was about twenty years old, and to have been made
organist and director of music in the cathedral. He married in 1546,
and had several sons, but in 1551 was again in Rome, where he held the
position of teacher of the boy singers in the Capella Giulia, in the
Vatican. While holding this office, he composed a set of masses, which
he dedicated to Julius III., and which were issued in 1554. Before
that time, Flemish composers had supplied all the music of the Church,
and these masses are the first important work by an Italian musician.
The Pope recognised their value by appointing Palestrina one of the
singers of the papal choir, which was against the rules of the Church,
married singers being debarred. Nor was the composer's voice such as
entitled him to a place in this splendid body of singers, and he
conscientiously hesitated before accepting the position. He did not,
however, hold it long, for Julius III. died within a few months, and
his successor, Marcellus II., lived but twenty-three days after
becoming Pope. Paul IV., who succeeded Marcellus, was a reformer, and
dismissed Palestrina from the choir, which was a severe blow to the
poor composer. But in October of the same year (1555) he was made
director of the music at the Lateran Church, where he remained for over
five years. During this time he produced several important works,
among them being his volume of _Improperia_ ("the Reproaches"), an
eight-voiced "Crux Fidelis," and the set of "Lamentations" for four
voices. These compositions gave him fame as the leader of a new
school, the pure school of Italian church-music. In 1561 the composer
became director of music at the Church of St. Maria Maggiore, where he
remained ten years, during which period the event took place which gave
him his greatest fame.

For years church music had been lacking in that dignity which should be
its main characteristic, and this fault was largely due to the Flemish
composers, who thought most of displaying their technical skill. They
frequently selected some we