The youth, whom we shall now call Palestrina, as he is known by the name of his birthplace, returned from Rome at the age of eighteen to his native town, in 1544, as a practising musician, and took a post at the Cathedral of Saint Agapitus.  Here he engaged himself for life, to be present every day at mass and vespers, and to teach singing to the canons and choristers.  Thus he spent the early years of his young manhood directing the daily services and drumming the rudiments of music into the heads of the little choristers.  It may have been dry and wearisome labor; but afterward, when Palestrina began to reform the music of the church, it must have been of great advantage to him to know so absolutely the liturgy, not only of Saint Peter’s and Saint John Lateran, but also that in the simple cathedral of his own small hill-town.

Young Palestrina, living his simple, busy life in his home town, never dreamed he was destined to become a great musician.  He married in 1548, when he was about twenty-two.  If he had wished to secure one of the great musical appointments in Rome, it was a very unwise thing for him to marry, for single singers were preferred in nine cases out of ten.  Palestrina did not seem to realize this danger to a brilliant career, and took his bride, Lucrezia, for pure love.  She seems to have been a person after his own heart, besides having a comfortable dowry of her own.  They had a happy union, which lasted for more than thirty years.

Although he had agreed to remain for life at the cathedral church of Saint Agapitus, it seems that such contracts could be broken without peril.  Thus, after seven years of service, he once more turned his steps toward the Eternal City.

He returned to Rome as a recognized musician.  In 1551 he became master of the Capella Giulia, at the modest salary of six scudi a month, something like ten dollars.  But the young chapel master seemed satisfied.  Hardly three years after his arrival had elapsed, when he had written and printed a book containing five masses, which he dedicated to Pope Julius III.  This act pleased the pontiff, who, in January, 1555, appointed Palestrina one of the singers of the Sistine Chapel, with an increased salary.

It seems however, that the Sistine singers resented the appointment of a new member, and complained about it.  Several changes in the Papal chair occurred at this time, and when Paul IV, as Pope, came into power, he began at once with reforms.  Finding that Palestrina and two other singers were married men, he put all three out, though granting an annuity of six scudi a month for each.

The loss of this post was a great humiliation, which Palestrina found it hard to endure.  He fell ill at this time, and the outlook was dark indeed, with a wife and three little children to provide for.