Fasciculus -- Carol of the Drifting Snow
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    This morning at a Poor Clare Monastery I heard them sing a beautiful song that I didn't recognize. I later spoke with one of the portresses of the monastery and she informed me that they had sung a piece called "Carol of the Drifting Snow" from the book "Fasciculus". The text is all Latin. I had never heard of it before and couldn't find anything on it by checking google... anyone familiar with it?
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Try googling

    Fasciculus chant
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    I did... couldn't find anything that I could figure out... but then again, I'm not all that well-versed in understanding the references I found...
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    Maybe the Poor Clares will give you a copy?
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    It is by De Brandt, according to a 1948 Osswego NY Newspaper.

    Attached is the Chant Antiphon...by that name.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Doing that search I found interesting the news coverage of music in 1948 of Christmas Eve at Catholic churches.....
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    Thanks so much, Noel! The portress I spoke with mentioned that they had a "book" that the selection was taken from... I'll have to ask if I could have a look at one next visit home :)

    The music of 1948 Christmas Eve was just a little different than now, huh?
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    The news article dispels the notion that men and women choirs were not to sing together at Mass, and that the Ordinary parts of the Mass were publicized as well as what the Baptists call, "Specials". It was interesting to note that one director of music featured his own Mass. St. Stephen's seemed to have sung a Polish set of pieces sung during the celebration of the during the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei that were like the Deutsche Messe of Schubert, commentary on the Mass rather than the Mass. But then on the next day they seem to be one of the few churches that sang propers in Gregorian Chant instead of the ubiquitous Rossini tones...
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    Small town and small city newspapers are a mine of information for holiday music history. They had the space. They also wanted to keep the advertising and subscriptions of the parishoners. If you really luck out, they print all the names of the choir members, so you can see how many people there were.
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    Of course, if you go over to Janet's blog, you can listen to the piece she's looking for. And now that I've heard it - I want it too.
  • ThurlowThurlow
    Posts: 20
    Thank you, Janet, for those wonderful audio files. The Carol of the Drifting Snow is beautiful! It has such calm serenity; very soothing to listen to as I'm getting ready to retire for the evening. One wonders what other loveliness is to be found in the Sisters' Fasciculus book.
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    I'll write to them in advance before my next trip there to see if it would be possible for me to get a chance to look at it...
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    You may be able to hear that this piece was sung while Fr. Andrew was placing the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance and then incensing. They have adoration at the chapel on Thursdays...
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    The mystery is solved... the sisters sent me the information about this piece. It is: "Carol of the Drifting Snow", by J.McCauley Dougherty and Cyr De Brant with Words by John Rathbone Oliver and Latin text by Joseph Bluett. Published by J.Fischer & Bro. in 1943. It was set as either unison, 2-part treble or SATB versions.

    I'll have to see if I can find it online somewhere...
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    The plot thickens ...
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    Janet - the mystery isn't solved. Now I'm happily wasting time researching the life and words of Cyr de Brant (the nom de plume of Joseph Vincent Higginson - a Brooklyn organist, composer, and faculty member at the Pius X School). Lots of masses and Loome Theological books has this:

    DE BRANT, CYR. Propria Dominicalia. Propers for Sundays and the Principal Feasts of the Church Year for Unison, 2 Equal or SAB voices. Boston: McLaughlin & Reilly, 1949. 4to, xii + 259pp. Beautiful softcover in original wrappers. Clean text. Sound binding. Almost as new.
    Price: $75.00

    I've wandered through the LC Music collection finding aid for J. Fisher, but no luck so far. Now I really have to do something productive.
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    I'm told it was a part of a 'book'. They only gave me a copy of the one piece...
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    I think lots of his music was "anthologized."
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