Passion According to John -- GABC template
  • innocentop
    Posts: 64
    I'm starting work on a musical setting of the Passion according to John, using the contemporary English liturgical translation for the USA and the Dominican musical tones for the Passion.

    In case it might be helpful as a basis for other settings, I've attached the GABC I produced that has every note on the tonic, divided into the speakers (based on the division available through iBreviary -- this appears to match what's available from the USCCB). I'm next going to apply the Dominican melodies to the text, but if anyone would like to try working with other melodic traditions this template may come in handy.

    Please let me know if you notice any problems with it.
    passion_according_to_john_h.gabc
    20K
    passion_john.pdf
    75K
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    Wow, interesting! Two years ago, I set the St John Passion (NAB text) to the Dominican chant tones and actually sang it (Evangelist) at St Patrick's in Hudson, WI. The score used for that occasion is in stemless round and small diamond notes, and it employs the 4th line tenor C-clef. Interestingly enough, I prepared my own GABC template and have been workong on a square notes 4-line edition!

    Anyway, I'm attaching the aforementioned score.

    I also have a more contemporary tenor G-clef version also reciting on C, as well as a version transposed down a step reciting on B-flat (which is the "key" in which we sang it two years ago). These are all available at this Dropbox link. Additionally, I have posted the Dropbox link on my Facebook page as well as on the Liturgical Music page there.

    St John Passion.pdf
    422K
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    In case it might be helpful as a basis for other settings, I've attached the GABC I produced that has every note on the tonic


    I think this version is useful in its own right.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,367
    I'll echo what Adam said -
    I think this version is useful in its own right.
  • innocentop
    Posts: 64
    Charles, happy to hear of your work. May I ask what inspired you to use the Dominican chant tone as a source? I'm happy to hear our influence is continuing to spread beyond our borders! ;)
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    Am happy to explain. For a number of years (when I was on the faculty of UVa), I was member and musician at St Thomas Aquinas parish (staffed by Dominicans) in Charlottesville, VA. It was there that I chanted, several times as the Evangelist (or Narrator) the Passion of St John on Good Friday to the Dominican chant tone, first with Fr Gregory Salomone but later with other priests. It was a special, transforming experience for me every time.

    Of course, back then the translation was not the NAB, and (if I recall correctly) the scanned music seems to have come from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC.

    In making the NAB edition, I used the Cantus Passionis D.N.J.C., Juxta notam Processionarii 1894 for authenticity, tempered by my experience with the score as used at St Thomas church. I've had plans also to prepare Dominican chant settings with NAB texts for the other three Passion narratives (for Palm Sunday), and even made a start on the St Luke last year, but that was cut short because of personal commitments.

    Any thoughts you have about realizing/reconciling the music with the NAB text will be most helpful (I'm open to and usually make revisions when I feel they are warranted). Am sure that we could find lots to talk about!
    Thanked by 1CCooze
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    I'll echo what Adam said -
    I think this version is useful in its own right.

    Perhaps so, in a rather monotonous rectotonus way.

    But, as for me, I much prefer the Dominican chant way. For me, it's the Way of the Cross.
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn Adam Wood
  • innocentop
    Posts: 64
    Thanks for the background!
  • innocentop
    Posts: 64
    If anyone is interested, you can see my work in progress on the Four Passions on github: https://github.com/innocentop/GradualeOP/tree/master/graduale-tex/graduale-chants

    (Scroll down to passion_according etc.)
    Thanked by 3Adam Wood CHGiffen canadash
  • innocentop
    Posts: 64
    Here's my draft version of the St. John Passion which we used yesterday at St. Vincent Ferrer in New York City:

    https://www.academia.edu/s/61553e2fae/the-passion-according-to-john-dominican-chant?source=link
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,021
    Very nice work. I didn't know there was a different Dominican tone.

    I've posted my recent work for the Anglican Ordinariate - the St. Matthew Passion - on the same website:

    https://www.academia.edu/32437040/Passion-Palm_Sunday_-_Matthew.pdf
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