This is an eight minute long emotional punch. But I can’t decide whether I feel euphoric or melancholic when I listen to it. Whichever it is, it moves me.

Allegri’s ‘Miserere mei, Deus’ (Have mercy on me, God) is a piece of renaissance sacred choral music by Gregorio Allegri. It is a setting of the Latin version of Psalm 51 from the Bible.

Pope Urban VIII commissioned it in 1638. It was performed exclusively in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican during matins and lauds for the last three days of Holy Week.

The piece is a nine-part polyphony composed for two separate choirs, one for four voices and the other for five and consists of a slow, prayerful melody with a solemn, plaintive texture.

Because of its perfect blend of harmony, complex counterpoint, and sublime emotion, it is one of the most beloved and iconic works of renaissance choral music.

The bit that grabs you is the soprano reaching the soaring high C; it’s the audio version of a stab at the heart, but you wouldn’t have heard that in the chapel. We’re hearing that high C because Felix Mendelssohn’s transcription error made it a fourth higher. It’s an accidental blessing.

The 14-year-old Mozart is credited with transcribing it. This is almost certainly untrue. Mozart memorised it and created his own version, commonly referred to as ‘Mozart’s Miserere’, but it’s not as good as the original or the one with Mendelson’s transcription error.

There’s an excellent version by Tenebrae Choir with a fine performance video, and you can see it here https://youtu.be/H3v9unphfi0