Stella Maris Mass
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    We will shortly be having the annual Stella Maris Mass organised by the Apostleship of the Sea for seafarers and their families.
    Please does anyone have a suggestion for an appropriate choir motet, preferably not too demanding.
    Thanks!
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    No, but I notice the communion antiphon for the Stella Maris Mass is the same text as the Alleluia for Epiphany (OF and EF), so perhaps you can find something that relates to that. We have seen his star ..../Vidimus stellam eijus ... (cf Mt 2:2)
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  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 269
    There is the Monteverdi Ave Stella Maris. Although the last verses are complicated, it is a long piece and you could limit the performance to the some of the starting verses.
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  • madorganist
    Posts: 906
    Try this. image

    Original here.
    Ave maris stella.pdf
    194K
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  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Trond Kverno's setting of Ave Maris Stella. Da Bomb.
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  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    There is the devotional hymn "Ave Maria, Thou Virgin and Mother':
    http://www.catholicdevotionalhymns.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hav02_ave_maria_thou_virgin_and_mother.mp3
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  • monscarmelimonscarmeli
    Posts: 31
    (audio for attached .pdf):
    https://soundcloud.com/user-650194262/ave-maris-stella
    AveMarisStella SCAN.pdf
    150K
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  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    Ave Maris Stella, Hassler
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  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,100
    Monscarmeli, thanks!
    this is a contemporary piece? where did you find it? I am asking because of the copyright notation at bottom.
  • Ambrosius
    Posts: 49
    We sing a simplified Monteverdi's Ave Maris Stella, alternating the plainsong verses with the same SATB music, in effect using the first two pages only of Joachim Kelecon's edition at cpdl for the whole hymn. Simple but effective.
    Thanked by 2Viola mmeladirectress
  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    Thanks for all the suggestions; this forum is immensely helpful. I had never heard of Trond Kverno so looked him up. His views on church music, like The goal is the congregation's prayer, rather than aesthetic pleasure. could spark off a thread in themselves.
    As the Stella Maris Mass is coming up imminently we'll have to go for one of the more straightforward options this year, but plenty to get our teeth into for next time.
    The hymns will be 'Hail Queen of heaven, the ocean star' (tune Stella)
    Motet for the Offertory
    'Sweet Sacrament divine' (tune Divine mysteries) because of the verse about 'safe from the ocean's roar'
    and 'Eternal Father, strong to save' which we are obliged to finish with every year.
    Chant for the Ordinary, introit and Communion.
    Thanks again
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Kverno is, of course, a Lutheran Norwegian. But his setting of the AMStella, particularly in the "Sit laus..." bridge, is decidedly and aesthetically moving and powerful.
    I led it in the late 80's, grad recital.
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  • maestrodicapella
    Posts: 129
    Loads of simple AMS:
    Elgar, Bardos, MacMillan, etc.
    And I would have chosen 'Sweet Sac. divine' for exactly the same reason!
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  • monscarmelimonscarmeli
    Posts: 31
    mmeladirectress, thank you - I actually wrote that for my wedding (1999), and that's the only time it's been sung. I'd be interested to see if anyone else can find it useful.
  • CGM
    Posts: 699
    This Ave maris stella setting by Thomas Stoltzer (for ATTB) is wonderful.
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  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    Thanks again for suggestions.
    I can also now offer one of my own; a friend drew my attention to a setting by Grieg, available on cpdl.
    What we don't use for the Stella Maris Mass will come in handy for other Marian occasions.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,415
    Relevant to Mr Hawkins' suggestion there is a lovely and pretty easy setting of the Vidimus stellam text in English ('We have Seen His Star...') by Everett Titcomb. You didn't specify language.
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  • ViolaViola
    Posts: 411
    Latin or English are both fine.
    The Titcomb setting is new to me, but well worth learning. Where do we find it?
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,415
    I'm sure that it is still in print by somebody - maybe Concordia or someone else.
    Otherwise, perhaps some of our skilled internet forumites can find an internet copy and post it here?
    _______________________________

    I just checked the internet - it is in print and available from Carl Fischer.
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  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    Still available for purchase, but out of stock in UK, and apparently takes a week to fetch from the warehouse in the US before posting.
    Several performances on youtube.
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  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 297
    There are few English composers who have written anthems with part of psalm 107, "They that go down to the sea in ships"
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn Viola
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,415
    There is no 'They that go down to the sea in ships' like unto Purcell's 'They that go down to the sea in ships', written for his favourite bass.
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  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,799
    CPDL lists only a couple of They that go down to the sea settings (Tans'ur, Attwood & William Davis wrote others, according to NG), but you'll find potentially useful stuff in the pericopes for OT 12B (the calming of the storm, some great JSB Cantatas) and also OT 19A (walking on water: check out Gombert!).

    Google adds Sumsion to Purcell (if you like that sort of thing) and an entertaining link to Sir John Tomlinson discusses singing Purcell.
    Thanked by 3MarkS M. Jackson Osborn Viola
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