Brompton Oratory

London Oratory, also known as Brompton Oratory is actually a church dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary - richly decorated, with lavishly furnished interiors, a neo-baroque building. It was built according to the project of Herbert Gribble in 1884. The name London Oratory comes from the musical form of the oratory, which was created and promoted by Filip Neri (1515-1595) - the founder and patron of the congregation, to which priests hold masses in the church. The temple appeared in popular culture thanks to the ballad of Nick Cave "Brompton Oratory."

Filip Neri, actually Filippo Neri was an Italian priest, one of the leading representatives of the Counter-Reformation. It is to him that the Catholic church owes the creation and popularization of an impressive form of religious music, which is the oratory - religious songs in the form of a dialogue, performed by soloists, with the support of the choir and orchestra, sometimes also the narrator. Neri founded a congregation of Filipinos (oratorians) - the first Catholic religious formation whose members did not take an oath. Members of the congregation promote joyful, based on singing and music professing faith - to this day they are cultivating oratorio music, for whose performances the temple in Brompton is famous.

The most famous member of the oratorian order was John Henry Newman (1801-1890) - an English cardinal, philosopher, theologian and writer. He was considered the greatest leader of Anglo-Catholicism, a current in the Anglican church, inclining to accept certain dogmas of the Catholic church. At the age of 44, he converted, choosing the Catholic church of which he is a saint today.