Choir music with organ (manuals-only) accompaniment
  • ProfKwasniewskiProfKwasniewski
    Posts: 242
    For the Immaculate Conception, our choir sang the choir/organ version of Monteverdi's "Ave Maris Stella," available here:
    http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/5/5a/Monteverdi-maris.pdf

    It sounded gorgeous -- and we got to sing it twice, because we sang at the EF on Sunday and again at the OF on Monday. Talk about a twofer... Anyway, the huge advantage of this piece is that (a) the organ part is simple and (b) the choir part is simple. We learned it quickly and a student, who can't play pedals, was able to do justice to the organ manuals.

    Can anyone out there recommend any other works (original or arrangement) that have these merits? Basically: choir part not too over the top; organ part just for manuals?
    Thanked by 1JulieColl
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,417
    There are numerous English verse anthems of the Tudor-Stuart-Restoration eras that might fill your needs; some modern ones, too. Some are difficult, but many aren't.
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,325
    Do you have recommendations of any of these? I'm not sure I'm familiar with this style. Is there anything like this is the Eton Choirbook, or am I way off base?
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,417
    The Eton Choirbook is a tad early for the verse anthem genre. Look more to the periods I mentioned above. One fairly easy one that comes to mind is My Shepherd is the Living Lord by Tomkins. One of the most famous is This is the Record of John by Gibbons (not easy). Another very famous one is Rejoice in the Lord Alway by Purcell (also not easy). These anthems are called 'verse' anthems because formally they alternate between soloist(s) and full choir, very often with an independent organ part. Many are not at all difficult, whilst a great many others are.
    Thanked by 1irishtenor
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,802
    For Advent 2C we do Wise's Prepare ye the way (bass solo for "Every valley...hill made low"!) and every Advent 3 I recruit a quartet for Purcell's Rejoice in the Lord. More can be found in cpdl's Category:Verse anthems.
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen irishtenor
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    This contributor on CPDL always includes a simple reduction or accompaniment with his choral works.

    He has nine pieces listed so far.

    We've sung his edition of Byrd's Haec Dies a 3 (but without the accompaniment) and I have my eye on his edition of Haller's Missa Prima.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    his contributor on CPDL


    Category:Anthony Cekada editions


    Glad he's doing something useful.
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Yes, indeed. He's a fine musician and scholar (and a very kind person) despite his faux ecclesiology. Thanks for the Wikipedia article; I didn't realize he lived in the Diocese of Milwaukee and attended seminary there in the wild 70's. I don't know if I could have retained my Catholic faith after wading through all that he must have seen and endured.
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,191
    I heartily recommend his book "Work of Human Hands". A fascinating and disturbing read.
    Thanked by 3JulieColl Ryan Murphy ClergetKubisz
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    It's one of those seminal works on the reform and has even received critical acclaim from Dom Alcuin Reid. That's not to say that dear Fr. Cekada is always spot-on in his claims. He's an excellent scholar, but he's also a very clever (brilliant, is more like it!) polemicist. I wouldn't want to be in a debate with him, but I think it would be fascinating to hear a debate between him and an orthodox theologian/ecclesiologist/liturgical expert.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Find anything by Maurice Greene, Henry Purcell, Orlando Gibbons, or Thomas Moreley.
  • ProfKwasniewskiProfKwasniewski
    Posts: 242
    Thank you all, gentlemen. Any other Baroque or Renaissance works you know of that would be like the Monteverdi we did?
  • ProfKwasniewskiProfKwasniewski
    Posts: 242
    Also, as a PS -- this may seem a very odd question, but is there such a thing as a Verse Anthem genre where the text is in Latin? We very often need to sing at the EF, and I prefer to follow the rubric that during Mass the motets shall be in Latin.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    The only one I can name of the top of my head is Purcell's 'Jehova quam multi sunt hostes mei', however, I wouldn't recommend doing it for obvious reasons... Tho' I suppose you could change 'Jehova' to 'O Deus'. It's (SSATB, T&B solos, btw.)

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