Easter Sequence . . . I know what I'm doing next year
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVoPAXrBfjk
    Thanked by 3Adam Wood canadash bonniebede
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    This is downright weird: turning a joyful liturgical chant into a boy-band song with a dance beat.
    Thanked by 2MatthewRoth PhatFlute
  • Mike Shawaluk
    Posts: 58
     
  • Mike Shawaluk
    Posts: 58
     
    Thanked by 2Eric D. Williams canadash
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    The first word too a full minute.
    And yet "chanting takes too long."
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    I would be a lot more into this if the percussion was human beatboxing, and the whole thing was performed live. With the electronic drums and over-production, it's just humdrum.



    As if the heart beat wasn't enough
    They got us using drum machines now
    The hums of the machines
    Tryin' to make our drums humdrums
    Tryin to move our magic
    Instruments be political prisoners up inside computers
    As if the heart were not enough
    As if the heart were not enough
    - from Twice the First Time, by Saul Williams
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Just when you've thought you've seen the weirdest corners of the internet....
  • JonLaird
    Posts: 245
    Their diction isn't bad, anyhow.

    More about the piece.
    http://mikeemusic.com/victimae-paschali-laudes/

    Heath, in case you hadn't found it already, you can buy it there for $2.
  • JonLaird
    Posts: 245
    What do you get when you combine ancient chant, contemporary choral sonorities, and Daft Punk-ish electronica programming? That’s what I set out to discover as I wrote this piece for Jefferson Johnson and the Men’s Chorus from University of Kentucky.

    It all started with the text. A paradox. That the Victim becomes theVictor. His victim-ness is thus celebrated and lauded. From that dichotomy arose the idea of clashing contexts: ancient vs. modern, monophonic chant vs. endless layers of vocals and synth, intense darkness vs. pop dance groove. The result, to me, is SUPER COOL!
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Maybe this was the unnecessary repetition that Vatican II sought to get rid of...

    The Council Fathers saw into the future and had visions of this....
    Thanked by 1Ioannes Andreades
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Though on a side note they look like they're having a lot of fun doing this.
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    To be fair, Mike is a great musician and recent convert to Catholicism. Fun fact: his sister-in-law babysat our kids in STL for a few years, and his mother-in-law was a choir member of mine. His wife is a great percussionist, too! I think it's a fun piece, all things considered.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Parts of it have a fun sound. The chanting of "Victimae... Victimae" is unsatisfying, though: "To the victim... To the victim..." Instead of making an affirmation like "Victimae ...laudes", it hangs there with suspense.
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,187
    .
  • francis
    Posts: 10,825
    .

    (I HAD to do an MJO on this one. No words to describe it)
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Thanks Andrew and francis for letting me know when there's "." that's not good from MJO.
    Yeah, it's always "cool" to raid the sacred treasury for a text that you can stuff however craftily in order to make a "break through" opus that simply blasts out "Look at us."
    Guess Mike's not much into word painting. He should have maybe done a Randall Thompson for this ditty arrangement.
    .
  • CGM
    Posts: 699
    I prefer this one.
    Thanked by 6CHGiffen canadash Gregory_the_Eremite Adam Wood Andrew_Malton rich_enough
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,414
    .
  • francis
    Posts: 10,825
    CGM

    Great example of the old mixed with the new. Beautiful.
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,191
    This is better:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7l517BNCts
    Thanked by 2Gregory_the_Eremite BruceL
  • RomanticStringsRomanticStrings
    Posts: 339
    Thanks, Kevin and CGM!

    Out of curiosity, is the triplet rhythmic reading of the sequence from the old misinterpretation of chant rhythm?
  • francis
    Posts: 10,825
    Kevin

    Nice, but I don't think it's better, just different.

    I REALLY like the harmonies on the choral version a lot.
  • G
    Posts: 1,400
    .

    Well, I had words, but I guess I should follow the lead of you more charitable types on this board and not use them.
    But I feel the way I did after seeing a rather stunningly decorated home in New Orleans and admiring a richly emboidered brocade pillow only to realize that it said "IHS" and had been fabricated from a recycled antique vestment.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    CGM; Whose composition is this? It follows several things I did at the colloquium last year and this year in the improvisation chant class, though any good composer could come upon these techniques by himself.

    Kevin: this setting realizes the inherent poetic rhythm of the text, and you can sometimes find medieval rhythmic settings, though I have never seen one for Victimae Paschali Laudes. I think that the trochaic rhythm is applied too strictly, since it results in some misaccentuation. I would have rather used three short syllables in a few places: (L=long, S=short) Victimae Paschali laudes LSLSLSLS, so far so good, but immolent Christiani SSSLSLS, etc. throughout the piece.
    Thanked by 2BruceL kevinf
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    CGM; Whose composition is this?


    Chris Mueller.
    http://www.benesonarium.com/

    If you've never checked out his works before - it's very worth it.
    Thanked by 1rich_enough
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Chris, enjoyed your Victimae recording above! Curious about your approach to the last bit of the text . . . I think I may have heard some Gene Puerling influences in there. : )
  • jefflokanata
    Posts: 35
    pretty cool !
    unless it sung in Mass,

    nevertheless, the poetic meaning is deteriorate
    but, It can help make people curious to the original chant.
    another form of evangelical?
    Thanked by 1canadash
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