Septem Ultima Verba Iesu Christi In Cruce
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    I just wanted to share an exciting piece of news. In my new position at the church here in Wyoming, I have been asked to start a new concert series. To kick it off, I am going to premier my latest work, 'Septem Ultima Verba Iesu Christi In Cruce'. I am hoping to do this on Good Friday (God Willing!).

    Some of you have heard some of the movements from my website, but I wanted to share with you the opening movement which I composed last week, which comes from the Gospel of Mark.

    http://www.romancatholicsacredmusic.com/seehear/christusRex.html

    The text is as follows:

    Christus rex Israhel descendat nunc de cruce ut videamus et credamus

    Let Christ the king of Israel come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.

    (In this simulation, I am using a woodwind quartet in place of voices so you can hear the parts. S=flute, A=oboe, T=clarinet, B=Bassoon.)
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,411
    Francis -
    How truly fine! How nobly touching! Moving! There is, here, an almost Bachian pathos, a Schutzian aesthetic. One might wish for a somewhat more developed or a more widely ventured harmonic scope - but one doesn't at all wish to complain or be critical of such finely crafted work. It's Beautiful! Can one order copies of the complete opus from you, or download from the internet for a fee? If the entire work is this good you might consider offering it to Oxford or Novello. Spot on! You have handled your limited resources with restraint and taste while getting from them heights and depths of emotional expression. How large is your choir? How many of each instrument? Do you see it fitting in liturgically in some way, or as a sort of 'concert spirituelle' at a separate time? -
    Best wishes -
    Jackson
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    francis it's so beautiful. Do you have string players in your parish to accompany the choir? If you do, I'd consider moving out there.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    M.

    More info on getting scores as PDF or octavos here:

    www.RomanCatholicSacredMusic.com

    Publishers... (holding tongue now) Many require you to give up your rights of ownership. It doesn't interest me to publish as I loose all control of distribution, arrangements, new editions, etc. And I prefer that this music is utilized only within the walls of the RC church.

    Choir here is small and not adept with polyphony and less with latin. I am hiring pros for the premier. This kind of polyphony is totally scaleable for very small or very large chamber orchestra and choir. I long to see the day when the oratory is restored. A place where new sacred art, music and reading can be incorporated into the liturgical year to compliment our rich heritage of the liturgy. Perhaps I should start the Catholic Oratory of Wyoming or something of the like. Do you have thoughts or ideas about how it could be included in the liturgy without overshadowing liturgical sense?

    Miacoyne:

    Come on out to Wyoming. It's drop dead gorgeous out here. Which string do you play? I always wanted to learn the cello. I have a violist that plays regularly, but I hired a violin and viola for the Christmas trio. The cellist bowed out 2 hours before the dress rehearsal. He was a volunteer though, so I couldn't hold him to it.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    francis, I'm very impressed with what you do with your music.

    I can keep dreaming of moving out to a beautiful country side. out of much traffic, 'busy' life ..noise,
    Sorry, I don't play string instrument, but I love to hear it. (My boy really wants to play cello.) Somehow I cannot imagine hearing beautiful music like yours in our parish any time soon. We have a contemporary band once a year come and do "live concert with Blessed Sacrament." (my teen boy tried to comfort me by saying, maybe they are trying to get teens, otherwise they will never come. I don't know)
    This is a highly educated middle-class suburb (although we were here before it became one.), but the standard of musical level.. I don't know. I'm very tired of teaching piano. The children have so many things to do, and they don't have time and effort left for beautiful things. They are so pressured to become almost like robots, for sports and technology,.. No wonder instant music becomes necessity in our churches.
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    Where are you in Wyoming, Francis? I'm south of the border in Fort Collins Colorado. But there's a lot of space between Cheyenne and Yellowstone.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    Miacoyne:

    It is comforting to know that someone such as you is at OLPH and can have a positive effect on the music there. Baltimore is a tuff place for good liturgical music. I guess that is why I am out here now. My kids are bombarded with the gadgets too. You are absolutely right about them wanting instant gratification. It is difficult to compete with.

    Carl:

    I am right in Jackson proper. Drop in any time you come up this way.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Thanks, people are at least friendly here, I don't think they are 'hostile' toward tradition. Many of them just don't know.

    Our schola is asked to have a concert in Baltimore city, St. Benedict. They have a monthly concert series. I admire the pastor' effort to bring music to this neighborhood. They are not a wealthy parish at all. (We are blesssed that God is sending us to this tough neighbourhood.) I plan nothing fancy (we are not ready yet, but simple and educational) I wasn't sure about the concert, but I'll take take this as an opportunigy to help people learn and get familiar with Gregorian chants even it's a little bit.

    I hope your concert goes well. If it's possible could you tape or record and post it, even just a short clip. I'll appreciate that.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    Ah, yes, Father Paschal. I was DoM at his church back in the 90's for a year. I would have loved to stay there (great acoustics, a nice pipe organ, and a choir that sang latin!), but had five young children at that time and could not justify the time verses the compensation allotted. He will welcome your schola with open arms and so will the concert goers.

    God Bless you and your efforts in Baltimore. Keep the torch of sacred music burning strong! You should also hook up with St. Alphonsus on Park and Saratoga. They have a great program of chant there.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Yes, a beautiful church. I went there for Vespers, but a bit disappointed to hear piano banging music.

    I go to St. Alphonsus on first Sunday when the schola sings. The pastor there is a director of the schola has really good voice. (I'm sure you know all so well.) And I love his strong sermon. (I meant very sincere toward our Holy Church and Holy Eucharist.) Dave, who sings there, also leads a schola at St. Agnes. We are planning to get together. Actually we were planning to practice together this last Tuesday but had to cancel because of the big snow.

    Well, nothing compare to beautiful Wyoming ;-)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    I was a member of St. Agnes for many years. I was helping Dave to build a good following after the Latin Mass with Fr. Tim but had to move. Has any more progress been made there?
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    I don't think so. But his schola and my schola maybe can together do something. My dream is having EF mass in one of the parish in this area. Right now we both are singing latin chants with lots of restrictions.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    The poster for the premier. Please keep this work in your prayers. We plan to record this event and produce a CD which will be available for sale. All proceeds will go toward promoting further works similar to this one.

    preview of three other movements here:

    http://romancatholicsacredmusic.com/seehear/deusMeus2.html

    IV. Deus meus, Deus meus, utquid dereliquisti me? : Jesus is racked with pain and confusion. The melodic figure of
    Jesus’ great question rises in wait for an answer. The echo of “Deus meus” not only comes from the mouth of Jesus but
    resounds throughout the crowd and racks the brain of Jesus, causing them all to wonder why this curse has befallen
    them all. My God.

    http://romancatholicsacredmusic.com/seehear/mulierMater.html

    III. Mulier, ecce, filius tuus; ecce mater tua : The Mother and The Son. This movement is all about their final moment
    together, their parting touch and separation. This is captured within the musical motive that ascends and decends in
    four simple notes. The rising represents their being together one last moment and the falling is the finality of their
    parting. Mother and child in the most tragic of all situations. Jesus, even in His greatest moment of pain, takes the
    time to look after His Mother and places her in the care of his closest disciple. Jesus purposely calls her ‘woman’
    bestowing upon her the title found in Genesis, “I will put enmities between thee [the serpent] and the woman, and
    thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head.”

    http://romancatholicsacredmusic.com/seehear/sitio.html

    V. Sitio : Jesus is now so delerious that time evaporates into the fog of his life hanging in the balance. The dry reed
    floats below the entrancing harmonies in the strings. A mirage of happier times come and go like the wisps of clouds.
    posterFinal3.pdf
    476K
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    This looks so great... I wish you all the best!
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    Thanx Janet. I am so greatful that God has given me the opportunity to perform new works of sacred music.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    We just finished giving the premier. It was a huge success. I had a string orchestra of 5,3,1 and a choir of 11 (satb). We had about 120 in the congregation which was a wonderful turnout for a town of 8000. We made a professional recording so you will all be able to hear it. Thank you for your prayers.

    Francis Koerber
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Congratulations, can't wait to hear it. Thanks.
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 994
    How wonderful, Francis! Eagerly awaiting some clips.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    My dear people:

    I bring you a sneak-peak of the world premier performance of "Septem Ultima Verba Iesu Christi In Cruce". It was performed on April 8, at 7pm here in the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Mountains RC Church where I have been graced to be the new DoM.

    This is a very rough mix, but you get a good idea of the wonderful performance we were blessed to have had, that is so difficult to get in a world premier since none of the musicians have never heard the music before.

    This is a portion of Sitio.

    http://www.romancatholicsacredmusic.com/seehear/sitioSample.mp3

    Performance Note: Jesus is lapsing in and out of consciousness. He is experiencing delusions and thoughts of happier days gone by, like wisps of clouds passing through his mind, as his dry parched throat aches for a simple drop of water.

    The cello solo creates a languishing pathos representing the dire unmet need of a quenched thirst.

    I will post another clip soon.

    Blessed be Jesus and Mary.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    Here is another clip which is a sample of "Christus Rex Israhel".

    (sorry! removed until publication)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    This is a sample of "Pater Dimitte"

    (sorry! removed until publication)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    Finally, a sample of "Consummatum Est"

    (sorry! removed until publication)
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Thanks for posting them. Sounds beautiful. How do I get to hear the entire piece. Are you planninng to make a CD?
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    Miacoyne

    I will go into production over the next few weeks to create a good master and then off to the duplicators.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    Here's the scoop on this production...

    Some of the audio recorded movements are not fit for publication, but I will always keep them for posterity's sake and archival purposes. Therefore, I will not publish an audio CD of the premiere performance, but will perhaps have a chance to create a better recording in the future. World Premieres are also a PIA when it comes to getting it right, especially with a semi-professional ensemble.

    Here is the second movement of the world premiere from April 8 of 2009. I conducted the orchestra and choir at Our Lady of the Mountains. The Pastor, Rev. Joseph Geders, CM was the narrator. I utilized the church choir as the foundation to give them the experience of working with professionals. I had about 8 other vocalists from our local town of Jackson. This is very difficult music and for one dress, they did an amazing job. About 150 people attended from all over the valley. It received a standing ovation. I hope to post more movements soon.

    play2nd Movement: Christus Rex Israhel

    program (I printed it on parchment card stock and folded it lengthwise)

    lobby sign

    Promotional Score

    Photos of the Premiere Performance
  • francis
    Posts: 10,810
    play3rd Movement: [Vox Primoris] : Pater, dimitte illis, quia nesciunt, quid faciunt
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