Singing from Manuscripts
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    Two "Ave Maria" prosas that are very stimulating to watch and hear:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfbITZgBZzs&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmUWbLNrlrY&feature=related

    "Psallentes" is a professional group, but like I said, stimulating. What do people think of this? Personally, I love it.

    It also demonstrates powerfully that a huge, huge amount of effect can be produced by minimal resources.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    love it!
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    francis

    I'm just continually impressed by how much can be accomplished with so little. Maybe this perspective can be called "minimalist of highest quality."

    instrumental prelude
    chanted propers with verses/GP in classic psalmody or fauxbourdon
    psalmody with modal harmonizations
    offertory proper, maybe in organum, maybe anthem/motet polyphony for feasts/solemnities
    priest chants his parts, totally reverential chanted Canon and Amen
    chanted propers with verses/GP in classic psalmody or fauxbourdon
    instrumental postlude

    For instrumentals, organ of course, but also light winds, or bowed strings -- could be minimalist but creative here (recorder -- shepherds! -- for Advent, for example). Instrumentalists could support chant/choral pieces in various ways. Chants don't always have to be florid -- the Simplex antiphons are often quite reverent and beautiful. Opportunities for simple but effective minimalist polyphony (organum, etc) abound.

    None of this requires a massive amount of work, but it does require a re-orientation of outlook toward chant and its system of values.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Pes. Another way to say it might be "with the most basic of ingredients almost anything can be turned into a feast." Last night I was just paging through the NOH, and wow, what a rich feast that is!
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