Yes, it is expensive. Why do you need this set? I looked through it, and didn't really understand its purpose. Yes, I do understand it is a modern day "Cantata" but when would you sing it? I barely have time to properly prepare for the Triduum, Sundays and other feast days.

There is excellent free music available would enhance the Easter Triduum in your parish. Here is an example: http://www.frogmusic.com/ This compilation is fantastic and amazed me when I was introduced to it.

"The Parish Book of Chant" is full of the chants you need for the year and can be downloaded for free as well: http://media.musicasacra.com/books/pbc_2nd.pdf

Yes, renting is possible. I was responsible for renting music for an orchestra. A composer/arranger in said orchestra was rather upset with me because the arranger of the work would not be compensated. I believe his comment was right and made me rethink renting music by living composers/arrangers.

I understand what everyone has wrote, but do they also think that every parish is wealthy enough to fork out that kind of money? We are certainly not and yet we cant even order a score with parts for even just one piece at a fraction of the cost. It's all or nothing and you either purchase the entire score for the entire cantata or you are out of luck it seems.

Not that I know anything about Lloyd Larson's "Witness" (I only checked because I thought the piece perhaps was by Libby Larsen), but note the prices at the publisher:

http://www.lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=55_1169L

Lots of other-denomination Christian churches and some large suburban Catholic parishes do these modern cantatas, and they do cost a lot of money, both in buying or renting the materials and hiring the orchestra/soloists, etc.

My opinion is that this money could certainly be spent in a MUCH better way, at a Catholic Church, on enhancing the Mass.

However, if you have a choir that wants to perform a show piece, like this one, at a concert outside of Holy Mass, you need to budget for it.

Last year, I prepared a performing edition of the Bach Cantate BWV 56 "Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen" complete with full and condensed conductor's scores, choral score (for the concluding Chorale), and parts (Oboe I & II, English Horn, Violins I & II, Viola, Violoncello, Basso Continuo).

The English horn part required some editing, since it generally doubles the viola part which occasionally goes below the range of an English horn, and in the final Chorale, the 2nd oboe is given the option of doubling the alto voice rather than duplicating the 2st oboe doubling of the soprano voice. The Conductor's full score and the Choral score for the final movement have been published here, at CPDL, free for nonprofit use. The parts are actually available from me, as well, but only on a case-by-case basis, where I can verify that they will be used for nonprofit purpose (otherwise, I would charge for purchase or rental of the parts).

I prepared this edition, gratis, for a performance by the Phipps Oratorio Society, under the direction of Thomas Dahle, as I have done for a few other works in the past, including Handel's "Serse: Act 1, Scene 1" (the famous "Ombra mai fu" aria, a.k.a. "Largo" when simply played instrumentally) and the Bach soprano solo Cantata BWV 202 "Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten" (not yet published).

If anyone wishes to use the concluding Chorale from BWV 56, it's a marvelous text, with imagery of the path to death and the hereafter in the setting free the rudder of the ship of ones life, so I am attaching the Choral score, as published at CPDL.

Komm, o Tod, du Schlafes Bruder,
Komm und führe mich nur fort;
(Come, O death, thou brother of sleep, come and lead me away)
Löse meines Schiffleins Ruder,
Bringe mich an sichern Port!
(Release my little ship's rudder and bring me safely to port)
Es mag, wer da will, dich scheuen,
Du kannst mich vielmehr erfreuen;
(Whoever may, might shun you, but you can delight me so much more)
Denn durch dich komm ich herein
Zu dem schönsten Jesulein.
(For through you shall I come to the dearest Jesus.)

So for that one evening of hypothetical music, you'd pay that much. You'd need 330 people to donate $10 each to break even.

That same money could hire 4 section leaders for a Catholic liturgical choir for 16 weeks (at $50 per call, hiring college students). You could improve the state of liturgical music in your parish for every Sunday from Lent I until Pentecost.

But...how to find 330 to give $10 each to do this...and a pastor to let you raise and spend the money? Sorry, isn't going to happen, but doing a miserable popular cantata can. Doesn't make sense, but it's following the protestant model.

Perhaps Catholics think too much of hiring soloists and orchestras or are unable to cut corners? Just sayin'.

Well put. Build your group and recruit local musicians....hard to do when pastors are rotated and you lose support. Protestants aren't stupid and will fight to hang on to a pastor and have a chance at succeeding unless the pastor wants to leave.

Being a Catholic priest these days is much more like being in the army..."after this tour of duty I will"....instead of "upon this rock...".