Choral Requiems for All Souls Day (Sunday 2 November) O.F.
  • Mark HuseyMark Husey
    Posts: 192
    In 2008, the last time All Souls' Day last fell on Sunday, we sang Fauré's REQUIEM by reordering its movements to fit within a Mass in the Ordinary Form (see attached PDF). Now that All Souls again falls on a Sunday, I'd like to schedule the Mozart/Süßmayr REQUIEM. Our pastor is not as inclined to reorder things, (although he might allow one of the movements as a Prelude) and he will not celebrate a Mass in the extraordinary form.

    Questions for the forum:
    1) Which music will you use to celebrate All Souls this year, and will it include a choral Requiem, or parts thereof?
    2) How would you incorporate a venerable canon in Western sacred music into a Mass in the Ordinary Form?

    Looking forward to your responses. FYI, here's a link to the forum discussion from 2008. http://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/855/all-souls-2008/p1
    All Souls 2008 REQUIEM Fauré.pdf
    384K
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,799
    We also did Fauré in 2008, iirc without Libera me but with the offertory in the middle. I'm planning to do it again to showcase the new tenor section.

    We've done Mozart (2009 I think) minus Dies irae and without Süßmayr; the violin trailed off at the offertory and the congregation sang Sanctus & Agnus xviii, Lux aeterna and Palmer's "Jesus Son of Mary" to ADORO TE ("Think, O Lord, in mercy on the souls of those who, in faith gone from us, now in death repose." H82 357). I made an organ reduction of the introit's wind parts. Most of the sequence appeared on the Sundays-before-Shoppingtide.
  • CGM
    Posts: 699
    I've programmed the Introit, Offertory (first half), and Communion from the Richafort Requiem at All Souls Day before (Mass in the Ordinary Form). Quite lush and beautiful.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,086
    Lucky y'all...I'm just doing the EF, where All Souls on a Sunday doesn't happen.
  • Daniel Bennett PageDaniel Bennett Page
    Posts: 835
    The Jehan Alain Requiem is based on the chants of the Requiem Ordinary--lovely and not drastically difficult.
    Thanked by 1Felipe Gasper
  • bonniebede
    Posts: 756
    Our new family choir (YAY!!!) will sing SEP Introit.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Mark Husey Salieri
  • Annabel
    Posts: 13
    The movements from Victoria's Officium Defunctorum (1605) don't overwhelm an Ordinary Form Mass.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen BruceL
  • JaredOstermann
    Posts: 488
    We're doing the chant requiem Mass plus Mendelssohn Beati Mortui at the men's schola Mass.

    At the mixed choir Mass we're doing the Faure Requiem:

    Introit = Introit+Kyrie
    Offertory = Offertory
    Communion = Agnus Dei
    Communion Meditation = Pie Jesu
    Recessional = In Paradisum

    Leaving out the Sanctus, with its incomplete text, as well as the Libera Me, although I'm considering including the Libera Me as a prelude.

    I don't tie myself in knots about the texts - for example the Introit and Kyrie combination and the Agnus Dei/Communio combination. For the simple reason that the actual propers are included in these movements at the correct moment in the Mass. Just as it would be fine to program a hymn that included some "Lord have mercy" text or allusion at the entrance, it's fine in my book to sing the text Kyrie as part of the entrance procession. The actual liturgical Kyrie, of course, comes later - and it will be sung by the entire congregation.

    The Faure is beautiful, and the Mozart is fantastic, of course. But in my book the best major requiem liturgically speaking is the Durufle. Short movements that seem to arise from and recede back into a chanted Mass. There is no better example for me of modern music that keeps alive the spirit of chant and the spirit of the liturgy, without being derivative.
    Thanked by 1Spriggo
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    But in my book the best major requiem liturgically speaking is the Durufle.
    Not just in your book! And your comments about it are spot on.
  • Cantus67Cantus67
    Posts: 208
    Mark, what about the Lobo requiem?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0C7mAIxPwg

    I LOVE this one.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Mark Husey
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I really liked the Guerrero that we did at Colloquium XXIII (SLC '13) for the EF Requiem. (Scroll down to Thurs. 20 June - Requiem Mass.)

    http://music.dierschow.com/2013Colloquium/
  • Felipe Gasper
    Posts: 804
    I need to second Daniel’s recommendation of the Alain Requiem: quite a gorgeous little piece. Too bad he didn’t set more of the text!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm_UJhT3nck
  • Mark HuseyMark Husey
    Posts: 192
    Thanks to all for your comments and fabulous repertory suggestions. I think we're going to do the Fauré this year again, actually. It affords a more flexible orchestration and most importantly, an accessible treble part for our 18 novice choristers (10 boys, 8 girls). Perhaps this is the year our senior trebles sing Britten's Missa Brevis.
    Thanked by 1Salieri
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    I liked that Alain piece a lot. I was especially impressed that it was being sung by a choir of SENTIENT FRENCH FRIES.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    I was especially impressed that it was being sung by a choir of SENTIENT FRENCH FRIES.

    Maybe they were singing on a Good Fry Day.
    Thanked by 4Adam Wood Mark Husey Andrew Motyka BruceL
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    Maybe they were singing on a Good Fry Day.


    That is so, so bad.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    That is so, so bad.


    Then fry does it feel so good?
    Thanked by 1BruceL
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 470
    Lucky y'all...I'm just doing the EF, where All Souls on a Sunday doesn't happen.

    You just need a job in England where you can get a Requiem on a Sunday in either the EF or the OF for Rememberance Sunday.
  • R J StoveR J Stove
    Posts: 302
    Don't overlook Lorenzo Perosi's Requiem, an early and dignified piece from 1898, now available online in the public domain, and (to judge by the score) eminently playable and singable without undue effort:

    http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/f/f2/IMSLP32050-PMLP72913-Perosi__Lorenzo_-_Requiem__1898_.pdf
    Thanked by 2Daniel Bennett Page CharlesW
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Speaking of colloquial performances, don't forget the gorgeous Brudieu setting Wilko introduced at (?) Chicago, and the Victoria we just did with Horst in Indy.
    Thanked by 2G BruceL
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