When the bishop or archbishop of your diocese visits your parish? No, he's not the pope, but he does get his authority from the pope, and is, in some sense, a representative of the pope, as the disciples were sent out by Jesus...
It is absolutely allowed to sing a polyphonic version of Ecce sacerdos. The choir may sing polyphony just about anytime except for the responses, or special situations such as when it sings the Synagoga part of the Passion. And especially sing polyphony during Lent - chant is the preferential option, not the penitential option!
Thanks, Arthur. I take it then that it would be permissible to sing Victoria's Ecce Sacerdos when the bishop processes in for an EF Confimation service? Is it the correct text? The link is here. It isn't the same as the text that Aristotle presented.
ADD: I'm having trouble finding something that isn't SSSAAATTBBBB with a brass quintet and orchestra!
P.S. I think I just answered my own question and found the solution on CPDL. Singenburger's Ecce Sacerdos is much more our speed. It's SATB with a moderate organ accompaniment and no brass section needed. The score is here and there's an mp3 here on Sheet Music Plus. The plain chant version just doesn't seem like the ticket for our circumstances, although it is beautiful in its own way.
This thread is just the reminder I needed. We need to learn a "Tu es Petrus" and I had shopped at cpdl over the summer and chosen Morales' 5 part setting since I could easily incorporate some Choristers on the top line. Time to start on it!
But now I'm going to check out the Singenburger, too. :)
Note that in the EF at least, the ritual described in the Liber Usualis (pp. 1840-42) is for the Ordinary of the Diocese, not an Auxiliary or Coadjutor bishop.
I agree; the Elgar can be very nice if it isn't shmaltzed up too much.
The great thing about having so many arrangements is you can find the exact one you're looking for that will suit the occasion and music people involved.
We did this for last year's Confirmations, with resounding success. It was so resounding, in fact, that I actually feared for the structural foundation of our old church building. I can only imagine what it would sound like with 2 organs, as is written. I have found its Polish composer, Pawel Lukaszewski, to be a most gracious man in my music correspondence with him.
Ben, I had contacted Pawel Lukaszewski directly last year, after having had difficulty contacting the music publisher, and he sent me a copy himself. Although I would love to post it here on the forum, I would be hesitant to do so, not having received permission from the composer.
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