Richard Keys Biggs
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Dear musiclovers, once again I turn to you. I am looking for a mass by Richard Keys Biggs. It's official title is 'Mass in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi' for 3 male voices and organ. As it is based on the theme 'Puer natus est' I hope to find it in time for Christmas.
    Dirk Maes
    Voces Capituli
    Belgium
    Thanked by 1JonathanLC
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 1,629
    Oddly, there's a copy at Ave Maria University. But neither the record for that one or the U. of North Texas copy lists a scoring (and so many of these were published in various scorings.)

    It looks like this is a job for a private collector.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    JQ, was this SoCal fellow Biggs the one who curated and arranged vocal music from the California Missions?
  • dad29
    Posts: 1,902
    He was the father-in-law to Roger Wagner....
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 806
    Dirk, I'll try too get a copy for you from his daughter.
    Thanked by 1chonak
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Wow, Paul, thank you very much for trying. I found some masses by Biggs, but the one I am looking for is nowhere to find. If you would get a copy, please include the adress of his daughter. I would love to keep her posted about us singing her father's music.
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Dear Paul, did you have any luck yet ?
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Dear Paul, ... Christmas is crawling near ... any luck yet on the mass ?
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 806
    I called his daughter today and she will look for it.
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    great ! Thanks
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Dear Paul, did you hear anything about the mass ?
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 806
    His daughter is sending me the music.
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,349
    My understanding is that McLaughlin & Reilly, the publisher of Biggs' Mass in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, was acquired by the Summy-Birchard Company.

    And Summy-Birchard, while still using that name on publications, since 1988 has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., 10585 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025.

    One could enquire of Warner/Chappell whether they still have available for purchase the Biggs' Mass setting in question (as well as other works published by McLaughlin & Reilly).
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Dear Paul, I haven't heard of you since october 9. Any news on the mass by Biggs ? I tried all the suggestions by ronkrisman (thanks !), but alas, no succes.
    Dirk
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    such a pity it didn't arrive in time for christmas this year. Still hope to get it for next year then.
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    It has been months since I heard from you ! Still hope the mass is coming my way.
  • Felipe Gasper
    Posts: 804
    Dirk, did you try to contact Summy-Birchard or Warner/Chappell directly? Just a thought.
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Dear friends, I a still looking for the mass by Briggs mentionend above. I tried the publishers ... no luck !
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 806
    Tried to obtain this for you from his daughter and his son. No luck.

    His daughter gave me scores for the Mass in honor of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Mass dedicated to Fray Junípero Serra, and the Mass In Te Speravi.

    I've not been able to connect with his son.

    Have you tried that Library of Congress?
  • cmb
    Posts: 65
    @VocesCapituli Appears we have this in our collection. Sending you a PM.
  • oldhymnsoldhymns
    Posts: 147
    Here is the SATB of Richard Keys Biggs' Missa Puer Natus Est--in Honor of St. Francis of Assisi. I hope you find it useful--maybe for next Christmas!

    I have all of Biggs' Masses, but my favorite is the one in honor of Junipero Serra.
    Missa_Puer_Natus_Est_in_honor_of_St._Francis_Assisi_Richard_Keys_Biggs.pdf
    1M
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen tomjaw Don9of11
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 1,629
    Just a note: Biggs' music is (at least for now) public domain in Canada, where IMSLP's main servers are. If people are holding music, I strongly urge them to scan it and make it available there, which will tend to shorten threads such as this. I'm willing to be of technical assistance, with scanning advice or the actual scanning or putting up.
    Thanked by 4tomjaw eft94530 cesarfranck Don9of11
  • roseannetsullivan
    Posts: 7
    melofluentmelofluent

    Biggs is the one who curated and arranged the California Mission Mass. Our Choir is singing it this week at Mission Santa Clara at a Solemn High Mass at 6:30 and has been singing it annually there for several years and elsewhere on occasion.

    >JQ, was this SoCal fellow Biggs the one who curated and arranged vocal music from the California Missions?
    Thanked by 1Incardination
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 8,307
    Our confrere melofluent hasn't logged in to the forum lately, but I'm sure he appreciates the response. :-)
  • roseannetsullivan
    Posts: 7
    Oh, Richard Chonak, I'm very sad to know this.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 8,307
    We were just thinking of him the other day, since there was news of a large new parish church to be built in his hometown.
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Dear friends, once again am I looking for a mass by Biggs, this time his Mass in honour of Saint Ambrose. Any help is welcome !
    Dirk Maes
    Belgium
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 1,629
    I do not know of that Mass. It doesn't come up on WorldCat, and I haven't found it on a list title-page of Biggs' work. Do you have any publisher info?
  • oldhymnsoldhymns
    Posts: 147
    I don't see a Mass to St. Ambrose listed on any of the advertisements by McLaughlin & Reilly or J. Fischer & Bro. for Biggs' Masses. Could it be the popular Mass in Honor of St. Anthony? I have several extra copies of that one (SATB & Organ) if you need it.

    These are the Biggs' Masses I have: Fray Junipero Serra (I like this one the best); Mary Immaculate; Queen of All Saints; St. Anthony; St. Cecilia; St. Frances Xavier Cabrini; St. Francis of Assisi (Puer Natus Est); St. Ignatius of Loyola. I also have an English Mass of Biggs to St. Richard.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    This is the one:
    Biggs - Mass.pdf
    163K
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    There is a copy in the Library of Congress but no idea how a simple Belgian as I can get acces to it.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 4,470
    [Admin note: I've deleted this comment because it contained no useful information for VocesCapituli, and it also contained some talk about one of the most heated topics of public controversy. Please don't use the site for such matters.--chonak]
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 8,307
    Information on public access to the Library is here:
    https://www.loc.gov/rr/readerregistration.html
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 1,629
    Here's the LC record:https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchCode=LCCN&searchArg=unk84156068&searchType=1&permalink=y

    This was a little odd, because it wasn't in WorldCat, and it was cataloged in book rather than score format. Probably the online record came from some card typed out in 1954 or so (note the no publisher/no date...perhaps this was a pre-print copy for copyright purposes?)

    It was useful that you posted that image, which is from the Caecilia's music supplement (they printed the Kyrie only; at this time the Caecilia was kind of an advertising circular for McLaughlin & Reilly.) The Mass is listed in a "latest works" blurb on p. 233; on 232 begins a cute article about the Biggs and their 11 children (puts the Big in Biggs!) as a kind of West Coast Trapp Family.

    I'm surprised that there aren't more copies around. It's fairly late in the pre-Vatican era, and men's choirs were probably already starting to fade out. Hopefully somebody will have a copy, and put a copy up on IMSLP (all of Biggs' music is PD in Canada).

    offtopic EDIT: The lead article by Rev. Clifford Howell SJ is a bit frightening; he was very clearly setting up the musical ideal for the Novus Ordo Mass, a decade before the Council.
    Thanked by 4oldhymns CHGiffen tomjaw Don9of11
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 4,470
    https://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/

    is the link to "ask a librarian".
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 342
    I ran across this on Google books, American Masses & Requims
    Thanked by 3Jeffrey Quick oldhymns Paul F. Ford
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 1,977
    Not wanting to derail the thread, I started a new one to pick up on Jeffrey Quick's comment about Howell and the Betsingmesse
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Dear Don,
    what a great idea. Never heard of the book. Looking for a copy now for a reasenable price.
    D.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 342
    Voces, there are several from libraries. That would be my choice if I were to buy one. I don't very much about the author.
  • VocesCapituli
    Posts: 81
    Just bought a second hand one, very curious!
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