Contemporary Sacred Polyphonic Composers?
  • Geremia
    Posts: 277
    Who are some contemporary polyphonic composers of settings for sacred texts?
  • ClergetKubiszClergetKubisz
    Posts: 1,911
    Zachary Wadsworth. We sang his O Salutaris Hostia (it was in English, so "O Saving Victim") at the 2014 Colloquium: it was beautiful.

    I believe CHGiffen on our own forum is a composer of sacred music.

    I've tried my hand at it, without much success (I just don't finish anything).
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Salieri
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,676
    Frank La Rocca
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Salieri donr
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 955
    Colin Mawby?
    Paul Jernberg?
    Thanked by 1Salieri
  • ProfKwasniewskiProfKwasniewski
    Posts: 247
    There is Kevin Allen, of course. My choir enjoys singing his polyphony.

    I have some pieces out there, too:
    http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2016/04/sacred-choral-works-and-other.html#.VzD9WtIrKUk
    Thanked by 5Salieri Geremia donr Heath BruceL
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,176
    Probably not within the reach of most parish choirs, but there are also, among the big names, James MacMillan and Arvo Part. (I know that MacMillan has written music for the parish choir he directs, but I'm not sure if any of this work has been published.)
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,090
    Deal Hudson has been discussing contemporary religious composers on his radio show "Church and Culture" with musicologist Walter Simmons, who (among other things) is a repertoire consultant for Naxos and some other classical record labels.

    Here are links to the programs they've done together highlighting various 20th-century composers. Some are not Catholic, but I include them for general interest.

    Four 20th-century Catholic composers:
    https://avemariaradio.net/audio-archive/church-and-culture-february-13-2016-hour-1-walter-simmons/

    Contemporary Protestant composers:
    https://avemariaradio.net/audio-archive/church-and-culture-may-7-2016-hour-2/

    20th-century Jewish composers:
    https://avemariaradio.net/audio-archive/church-and-culture-march-19-2016-hour-2/

    Also, Hudson interviewed Chris Mueller (whose work has been performed at the CMAA colloquium) on the importance of polyphony and sacred music:
    https://avemariaradio.net/audio-archive/church-and-culture-february-6-2016-hour-2/

    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,158
    Herein, Royce Nickel, Heath Morber, Francis Koerber, Jeffrey Ostrowski, Richard Rice, Richard Clark, Chuck Giffen, Patrick O' Shea and Jeffrey Quick. To a lesser known extent, myself (Ave Verum Corpus and Anima Christi.)
    Thanked by 3Heath ProfKwasniewski CHGiffen
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,961
    Nicholas Wilton.
    Thanked by 2madorganist ProfKwasniewski
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,193
    Sine Melo tooted my horn, see here for precisely which texts.
  • Kevin Anthony
    Posts: 40
    Leo Nestor, although even his "simple pieces" are often not that simple for a parish choir.
  • DiapasonDabbler
    Posts: 25
    Due to the recent moving away of a couple of choir members, I have been writing quite a bit of SAMen music - "Ne-reminiscaris" / A Missa Brevis / a few collects etc. - although I had previously written a Requiem (soon to be recorded) & various SATB anthems including a Pater Noster (used on a few cathedral visits). They are mostly here - http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?Ntt=Attride - if of use. Most would certainly be achievable by a "parish choir".
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,064
    Ola Gjeilo (although of course not many)
    Philip Stopford
    Thanked by 1StimsonInRehab
  • Gaudium
    Posts: 53
    Reviving this and would love some more additions:

    Paul French
    Nicholas Lemme
    Jessica French
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,210
    @Gaudium great minds. See this thread.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,090
    See also the compositions posted in the "New Compositions" category here on the forum; often they are polyphonic.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen sdtalley3
  • AgnusDei1989
    Posts: 50
    Steven Talley — I've seen some of his work on LinkedIn and what I've seen is lovely.
    Thanked by 1sdtalley3
  • Dr_Haze
    Posts: 9
    Paul Jernberg. His harmonies are beautiful and quite accessible for adults and children. Ive taught his setting of St. Michael’s prayer to many school children, and our Parish sings the Mass of St. Philip Neri currently. There’s a long form and simple form of the Cherubic hymn that is wonderful. Ive been to a Mass with him conducting, and he has the choir sit front and center in the pews. I’ve started doing the same thing at my church with positive results.
  • Chant_Supremacist
    Posts: 228
    Not to derail, but since you brought it up @Dr_Haze, what are the advantages and positive results? I’ve always found that if the singers can’t be vested and in the sanctuary, strongly integrated with the sacred actions in that way, the next best place really is in the choir loft if it exists.
    Thanked by 3francis MatthewRoth Dr_Haze
  • Dr_Haze
    Posts: 9
    For practical reasons, the average age of folks in my choir is above 60, the oldest being 94, several in their 80's, and making their way from our warm-up room to the loft stairs is time consuming and hazardous, but I'm not putting them in the pews for this reason.

    When they sit in the front pews ahead of the assembly, their singing actually encourages more participation from the parishioners. And they are heard more clearly from the front than in the back up in the loft next to an overbearing Organ. We've started doing sung masses entirely acapella with part singing, and the harmonies are clearer and easier to hear. We're also able to give the choir an elevated role in a back and forth during responsorial psalm verses and the gospel acclamation verse. The cantor would start a verse and sing up until an asterisk* and the choir would finish the rest of the verse.

    When I attended the premier of Jernberg's Mass for the Blessed Karl of Austria, and because the main melodic notation was made available in a program before mass, as I sat behind the choir in the pews, I was basically part of the group while sightsinging the mass parts.
    Thanked by 3a_f_hawkins CHGiffen davido
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