Easy Simple Polyphonic Masses for the Traditional Latin Mass
  • AndrewSteinerPiano
    Posts: 62
    Hello, I currently direct a schola for a weekly High Mass on Sundays. I'd like for us to do some polyphonic Masses, but currently few men sing with us, so it's mostly altos and sopranos a lot of time. What would be a relatively easy polyphonic setting of the Mass ordinary that is maybe SAB or SATB, and possibly has organ accompaniment?
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,333
    Christoph Dalitz -- Missa Tribus Vocibus

    This is EXACTLY what you need!
    Thanked by 4AndrewSteinerPiano Aristotle Esguerra Ben ServiamScores
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,815
    CPDL search for 2vv Masses gets 42 hits including a Gabrieli arr.; IMSLP search for 2vv & org gets 48, adding Dubois to Délibes (great piece, get to a library and find the whole mass) and Gounod. Expanding the search to 3 & 4vv is left as an exercise ;-)
    Thanked by 2bonniebede AndrewSteinerPiano
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    http://jeffreyquick.com/pdf/BartschmidShortG.pdf

    This is a really nice Missa Brevis, to which are added a very weird Gloria & Credo.
    Thanked by 2Jeffrey Quick AndrewSteinerPiano
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    Faure Messe Basse is really pretty and not hard if you have decent SA voices. No Gloria or Credo, however.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,092
    Thanks for the shout-out...I see I should prettify that scan, since I put it up before I learned the tricks I know now.
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,022
    I also have an SATB version of Faure's "Messe Basse".
  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 271
    There's an SAB version of the Byrd mass for three voices (evidently the tenor line is taken up an octave by sopranos). I would also recommend the Missa Octavi Toni of Lassus otherwise known as his Missa Jager (although it's SATB). It's relatively simple and short. (Lassus's employer enjoyed hunting more than assisting at lengthy masses).
    Thanked by 2AndrewSteinerPiano Aristotle Esguerra
  • ref_scottref_scott
    Posts: 90
    Michael Haller (late 19th century) has Masses for SAB and organ. Just looked at his Missa Prima yesterday for the first time.
    Thanked by 4Jeffrey Quick Viola JulieColl Aristotle Esguerra
  • DiapasonDabbler
    Posts: 25
    I recently wrote an SABar setting specifically for this reason. Although technically not accompanied, the voice lines can be effectively doubled on a light flute (8 / 8/4). We used it on one occasion and it attracted some very positive comments. There is a Credo (if necessary / for concert use) as well as the main five pieces. http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/missa-brevis-a-tre-voce-digital-sheet-music/20229298
  • AndrewSteinerPiano
    Posts: 62
    Thanks everyone for the help. I liked the Dalitz one.
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,333
    I knew you would ;-)
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    I hesitate to suggest these, but what about Rev Joseph Turner's Mass of St Cecilia (1892) and Mass of St John the Baptist by Alphonse Cary (I think) from 1891. There are lots more of that ilk; recently at an ordination we sang an Agnus Dei from another Mass of similar vintage and it was well received. Tuneful, easy, and SHORT!
    Thanked by 1Jes
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,478
    I think that second Mass is also Turner, and that Cary was the publisher, in London, of both. Can you point us to an available source of the music?
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    I think you're right.
    I find them lying around in old churches, waiting to be thrown out. Are they not to be found in your part of the world? perhaps not.
    I will get my act together and put some on cpdl, as they are well worth reviving.
    Thanked by 1a_f_hawkins
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    That would be welcome: we used to sing the Turner Cecilia Mass in Boston, and it was quite serviceable.
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,333
    @Viola, I would love to see the Masses you have referenced; I'm not familiar with them.
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    Hi, I'm resurrecting this thread to say that I have at last put on cpdl the Mass of St Cecilia by Rev J. E. Turner OSB and Mass of St Francis by Alphonse Cary. At least, I hope they are there.
    If people find this sort of thing useful I have more out-of-print polyphonic Masses I can make available, like the Mass of the Holy Rosary by ? and Mass of the Good Shepherd by Rev. Turner. There are a few by Sir Richard Terry too.But Holy Week and Easter need attention first.
    Thanked by 1Jeffrey Quick
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,050
    Here's a mass in Latin for SAB I wrote a number of years ago. Short and (I hope) sweet.
    Missa Sancti Joanni (3vv) - Sam Schmitt - Kyrie only.pdf
    108K
    Missa Sancti Joanni - Sam Schmitt - Gloria - 3vv.pdf
    224K
    Missa Sancti Joanni (3vv) - Sam Schmitt - Sanctus, Agnus.pdf
    330K
    Thanked by 2Jes Daniel Bennett Page
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,092
    Turner Caecila and Good Shepherd are both up at catholicromantic.jeffreyquick.com Cary St. Francis is on IMSLP

    Viola, thank you for doing this. Watch those dumpsters! Check your Cecilia though; there doesn't actually seem to be a file there. If you put these on IMSLP, you only have to wory about copyright for composers death + 50 years, which might be relevant for some more recent things.

    Yes. Please. SAVE THIS MUSIC. Even if it's absolute crap. It's important to know where we came from, for better or worse.
    Thanked by 2NihilNominis Viola
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,025
    The Turner St. Cecilia Mass, especially the Kyrie, is deeply affecting to me. I don't know why; it really shouldn't be.

    Here's a recording of it.
    Thanked by 1Viola
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    I have now succeeded in uploading the St Cecilia Mass, sorry about that. There is a lot of this stuff out there, and I will upload more, once we have got through Holy Week and Easter.
    I like to look round old churches as part of my research, and once came across an elderly chap who was moved to tears as he told me how all the old Latin polyphonic music sung by the choir had been thrown out into a builder's skip (=dumpster) during recent renovations. That church used to have a fine choir, but after the misinterpretation of Vatican II's directives on music the choir was disbanded and the music thrown out.
    Very sad.
    Thanked by 1JuliusKaisari
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,333
    @Viola, to where did you upload it? If it is supposed to be with one of your posts, I can't see it.
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    The file seems to be too large so I'll upload it in two halves: Kyrie and Gloria as part 1, then the rest in part 2.
    The Mass of St Francis by Alphonse Cary has uploaded with no problems.
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    imageimage
    This is the Mass of St Cecilia in two halves, as the complete file is too big.
    Mass of St Cecilia - Pt1 Kyrie and Gloria.pdf
    8M
    Mass of St Cecilia - Pt2 Sanctus Benedictus and Agnus Dei.pdf
    4M
    Thanked by 2irishtenor Mary Ann
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,333
    The Mass of St Francis by Alphonse Cary has uploaded with no problems.


    Forgive me, but where? I don't see this one either.
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Missa Prima (SAB) by Michael Haller.

    http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Missa_Prima_(Michael_Haller)

    Missa Dominicalis (SATB) by Tomas Luis de Victoria

    http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/9/93/Ws-vic-msdo.pdf

    Missa Secunda (SATB) by Hans Leo Hassler

    http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/e/e0/Hassler_Missa_Secunda_complete.pdf

    Missa Brevis (SATB) by Antonio Lotti

    http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/9/94/Ws-lott-mbd.pdf

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns_7Oi9gqRY
    Thanked by 2Viola CHGiffen
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    Masses of St Francis and St Cecilia are both now on cpdl.
    Thanked by 4canadash JulieColl Mary Ann CHGiffen
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,333
    Great!
  • JesJes
    Posts: 576
    I'm currently writing one!
    The Kyrie I posted Last night AUS time.
    It's SAT but can be transposed down easily.
    Kyrie - Full Score.pdf
    39K
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • JesJes
    Posts: 576
    G'day Andrew, here is the Gloria.
    If you need lower men's parts I'd use the Alto down the octave.
    gloria - Full Score.pdf
    70K
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