What's Your Preferred Polyphonic Mass Ordinary for the Easter Season?
  • So...What's Your Preferred Polyphonic Mass Ordinary for the Easter Season? (Assuming 3, 4, or 5 parts)

  • Palestrina's Missa Ave Regina Caelorum. Works well for either feast or feria (just omit the Gloria.)
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    The one I am not going to be allowed to use.
  • It's not especially designated for Eastertide, but I would give weighty consideration to Vaughan Williams' Mass in g-minor. Also, for solemnities of this importance, I tend to prefer the sober and ecclesiastical splendour of Monteverdi.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,825
    Charles

    ?
  • Orlando di Lasso' Missa super Surrexit Pastor Bonus, a 5.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    Francis, I will not be allowed to use a polyphonic Ordinary. My favorite is the one I would like to use but can't. LOL.
  • Oops. I'm just now seeing you're asking about settings for the Easter, not Lent.

    As you can tell, I didn't give up making hasty comments on online forums this year . . .
  • It's an interesting question. What makes an Ordinary setting Easter-y?
    My peeps are too few and unskilled right now to do 3-5 parts. We're going to relearn Willan St. Teresa now that I have legal copies (did it once, discovered who was printing it, didn't do it again). Our other 2 non-chant settings (Rheinberger Op. 62 and Perosi Te Deum Laudamus) are both minor-ish, so a major key setting would I suppose be Easter-y.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Does it have to be a cappella or can it have organ accompaniment?
  • Either. I was just curious. To echo Jeffrey's question: "What makes an Ordinary setting Easter-y?" Wondering how you take up that question, particularly with the juxtaposition of the more modern Protestant-trumpet call Easter idea vs. the ancient, mysteriously modal sound of the Easter chants, which, to our ears, all sound sort of 'minor'.

    That being said, I'm[ also trying to think practically, as I'm looking to start working on something soon. :)
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    You could always do polyphonic propers, (and if TLM the Asperges and Marian antiphons), and just do whichever Gregorian Ordinary sounds most Easter-y and up-lifting to you.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    The Missa Secunda of Hassler will sound "Eastery" to some ears.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen MatthewRoth
  • Missa Secunda - a cute ditty.
    It has nothing near the gravitas appropriate for the most profound feast of the Christian year.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,825
    Charles... my condolences to you on the slow death of your dreams (and the church's desire) to employ polyphony.

    As an answer to the OP, any of the Masses from before 1700 are good for Easter, and then there is a few that I composed myself which I would use if I had the forces. Numerous places are able to perform my SATB works that have large or professional choirs, but I have not been able on account of lack of choral forces.

    I really need a job in a cathedral as Composer of Sacred Music in Residence and will also play the organ and conduct if asked... but I really should be composing full time. Any takers? I will compose a full SATB Mass per week (Latin only) for the right position. Second thought, that is a bit much. How about one every two weeks? Credo will also be included for high feast days.
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    This is opportune. I have a new assistant coming on board and don't want to do Vierne. I'd prefer something accompanied since choir has a heavy load of a cappella works from Christmas through Lent.
  • Bruce -
    It sounds as if you have respectable resources.
    Monteverdi with cornets and sackbutts would be glorious.
    (If you can't get cornets and sackbutts, trumpets and trombones will do nicely - except that it sometimes takes a very firm foot on the floor to get modern brass players to play in any mode other than fff.)
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    Charles... my condolences to you on the slow death of your dreams (and the church's desire) to employ polyphony.


    The polyphony can't be sung by the congregation so yes, it is out. I will be using the ICEL chants, so it could be much worse. At least it is not Mass of Creation.
  • You could always do polyphonic propers

    You tell me that, somewhere in the Western Church, there is a choir that can learn 4 new pieces of polyphony a week, every week. I don't believe you. A polyphonic Asperges is an idea though.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    learn 4 new pieces of polyphony a week, every week.


    London Oratory, Or Westminster Cathedral?
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen moderntrad
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    London Oratory, Or Westminster Cathedral?


    Perhaps so, but not so for my Alzheimer's choir. I sometimes wonder if they remember they rehearsed a few days before.
    Thanked by 2francis ryand
  • francis
    Posts: 10,825
    if you have four excellent sight readers, polyphonic propers could be possible, but would it be desireable? not sure... I would prefer mostly chanted propers employing polyphony judiciously here and there.
  • CCoozeCCooze
    Posts: 1,259
    I actually specifically meant for Easter, the "season" part only just caught my eye when Jeffrey mentioned it.
  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 269
    Although its not an entire ordinary, there's a Gloria by Peter Latona which alternates chant with a polyphonic setting. It satisfies GIRM para. 53 (Gloria may be sung "by the people alternately with the choir . . .") with the chant parts and gives the choir some rather nice polyphony. Perhaps others can take up the challenge and compose / adapt other alternatim settings.
  • MBWMBW
    Posts: 175
    BruceL - Do you know the Grayston Ives Missa Brevis? Published by Oxford.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p0gxwmxs0o

    For a nice change (but acapella), how about the Missa Brevis by Kristina Vasiliauskaite?


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk9IEWHXN0A

    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    London Oratory, Or Westminster Cathedral?


    How about St. Francis de Sales Oratory in St. Louis? I'm not kidding...
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    MBW: YES!! I love that piece, and had forgotten. Our folks have, more than anything, rhythm issues (they didn't really sing anything quick before I got here!), so the Ives is too much for short notice.

    MJO, no brass on Easter, at least not this year. Trust me, with this organ in this room, you don't miss it!
  • MBWMBW
    Posts: 175
    For a more straightforward accompanied Mass, how about the Mathias from the 1982 Hymnal? I can't find youtube of the real thing, but here is a grand version from St J the D.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH_lhkD2yg8
  • MBWMBW
    Posts: 175
    And, by the way folks, many are grossly underestimating the abilities of our major cathedral choirs. I could name five off the top of my head who could do weekly polyphonic propers if they so desired. I also know of a few parish choirs who could do so. Most do not desire to spend the time on this, preferring to mix chant and polyphony. Or, in some cases, not to give the time to propers that most on this forum would like them to.

    There are, perhaps, more well directed professional and semi professional Catholic choirs out there than are known to this forum.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    There are, perhaps, more well directed professional and semi professional Catholic choirs out there than are known to this forum.


    Ya think? I suspect you are right about that. Some choirs and music programs don't get much attention outside their respective buildings.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Is the Ordinary to be for Choir or for Choir & Congregation ... and how difficult is it to be? If it's indeed for the "season" then I was thinking the OP meant for something that everyone (at least eventually) would sing, but perhaps only a "performance" Ordinary by the Choir is intended (accompanied or not).

    Also, I'm assuming Latin, but perhaps it's for the NO, in English?

  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,315
    MJO, on Easter itself, yes, I would agree. But the latter Sundays of Eastertide or the Sunday after the Ascension would be an appropriate place to sing the Hassler, which I like; it's in my parish's "go-to repertoire" for solemn festal Masses scheduled on shorter notice.
  • By "polyphonic Propers", might you include Anglican chant? We often alternate the Proper antiphons and verses between Gregorian Psalm tones and Anglican chants. If you look at the Rev. Carlo Rossini Propers, you'll notice some full-measure, block chords at the bottom of each Introit page, with slash marks in the reprise of the Antiphon. Just use Anglican chant instead.

    Antiphon: Gregorian Introit tone
    Psalm verse: Anglican Chant
    Doxology: Greg.
    Antiphon: Ang.

    Some might consider it "utilitarian", but is IS polyphony, and it was designed for chanted verse.
  • Amen (ah-men!) to what Steve just said.
    Anglican chant is amazingly versatile and can be used to dress up many parts of the liturgy. There are thousands of Anglican chants that can be accessed from numerous books, and finding a nice one to compliment a psalm tone, or even to be used for an isolated antiphon, is a very easy task.

    Though, as is, I think, common knowledge, I prefer the Gregorian tones to the more streamlined modern types, Anglican chant also works well with the modern tones.
    If you sing psalms during communion, or at other places such as the offertory, etc., alternating psalm tone with Anglican chant makes for a very sensitive practice. You could train your congregation to sing the even numbered verses to psalm tones, whilst your choir sing the odd numbered ones to Anglican chant. (It is the centuries-old custom that in alternatim performance the odd psalm verses, or odd hymn stanzas, are performed by the choir or the organ, the even-numbered ones by all. The two exceptions to this rule are Gloria and Credo, the incipits [first lines] to which are sung by the celebrant or his designated substitute.)

    Of course, at Walsingham, the entire congregation sing the mass psalm in directum to Anglican chant - and many of the people sing their appropriate SATB parts.

    I think that everyone is aware, aren't they?, that the psalm, when sung responsorially, can have the people sing the responsory, with the verses being sung to Anglican chant or polyphony by the choir. There is nothing that requires the vv. to be sung only by a cantor. (And this is not meant to disparage talented cantors [the key word here being 'talented'].)
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen moderntrad
  • We use them at virtually all the English Masses as well - mostly for the Gospel Acclamation verses. I have quite a few of them in Finale. I'm happy to share. (Of course, many of the Gospel Acclamations are copyrighted, so any complete documents from me would be for reference to the pairing of the chants.)
  • And, if you're looking for something interesting for Communion during Lent, I have the "Parce Domine" antiphon paired with a single chant by John Blow (public domain) using 2 verses at a time from Psalm 51 in Latin.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,315
    Fauxbordon and Anglican chant often make appearences for the propers when the schola here has a Sung Mass (TLM) on short notice.
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    Steve, if you don't mind, that Parce sounds fun...please post!
  • Here y'all go. The first setting was for Ps. 139, not Ps. 51.

    I had forgotten that I had created another version for during the distribution of ashes.
    Parce Domine-Ps139.pdf
    36K
    Parce Domine AshWed.pdf
    29K
  • P.S. I always give the "Parce domine" antiphon to the congregation to join in. Here is a JPG. (If you prefer a TIF for insertion in a document, I'll have to send that in an email.)

    Note to moderator: Is there a way to set up this blog to accept TIF graphics files?
    ParceDomine-Ant-m-Lat.jpg
    3000 x 743 - 265K
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Most browsers do not support the display of TIFF image files, so there's not much point in uploading them. However, if you convert the file to a PNG or JPEG file, you'll be able to upload it. (PNG preserves the original image quality; JPEG is smaller.)