String quartet Music for Feast of the Annunciation
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 186
    I have the opportunity to have a string quartet play for our Feast of the Annunciation on April 4, 2016. Which is awesome!

    They can do 20 minutes of prelude music and an instrumental piece at Communion, besides playing along with Mass parts and hymns.

    So...besides playing a bunch of hymns...what instrumental repertoire would you ask a string quartet to play at the Feast of the Annunciation?

    Totally lost for good ideas!
  • JL
    Posts: 171
    If you can round up a capable soprano to go with them, Hermann Zilcher's Marienlieder are excellent, though parts may be hard to locate. Check with WorldCat.

    Also, a lot of SATB choral pieces work well when played by a string quartet--perhaps some of the Annunciation-themed pieces in the Oxford Book of Carols would fit the bill.
    Thanked by 1sergeantedward
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    We have sung the "Biebl" Ave Maria with a trio on the second part and it has worked very well. It would also fit as the proper for offertory is "Hail Mary..."

    If they have played together a long time, they will probably be able to give you a list of what they can play as prelude music and you can choose from there.

    They could play one of the movements from Handel's Water Music along with the organ as a postlude.

    Honesty, I would not have them play everything. I think that would be overkill.Think less is more.
    Thanked by 1sergeantedward
  • Fr. Jim Chepponis
    Posts: 220
    Although I don't have any particular published composition in mind, an arrangement of the Basque carol "The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came" (Tune: GABRIEL'S MESSAGE) would be appropriate.
    Thanked by 2sergeantedward Spriggo
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