Sublime Dichotomy and Allegri's "Miserere"
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    I've been directing for nigh on 40 years at church and school (middle school, high school, comm. college.) When I retired from directing/teaching at public high school in Ought Five, despite having many fine choirs and individual vocalists, I'd never "discovered" a soprano in whom I could discern the requisite ability to sing the S1 part of the small cori of the Allegri "Miserere mei." So, without much thought or angst, that piece more or less got sequestered in my mind's "Wish List, Unfulfilled" corner.
    But God has such a sense of humor over such folly we self-impose. A new family visited the parish a couple of years or so ago; career re-assignment for dad, homeschooled teens. Came up after Mass, introduced themselves....got a sense of their passion and orthodoxy....I'll cut to the chase.
    Their second oldest daughter is THAT soprano! She had to leave FU Steubenville because of a physical injury to recover here in CA at home. In the process, with a few voice lessons etc., she sang the "Cantique de Noel" at Christmas with a more British, Peter Phillips style than Jessye Norman.
    Well, our merry little band is in our third week of the Allegri, and she took to the G2-C3 with a sort of measured abandon, reverence and confidence. (We're rehearsing in my classroom-gotta rehearse in the church next week!) And to a person, all of the choir is consummed and rapt with joy and profound respect as we attempt to bring this masterwork to life for Good Friday.
    Not in my wildest dreams, but yet, here we are. It is Lent. This musical journey fills me with hope.
    The Lord is kind and merciful. Deo gratias.
    Thanked by 1Claire H
  • Randolph Nichols
    Posts: 398
    This is the kind of story I like to hear. Even at the choir school in Cambridge, it's not a sure thing we will always have a boy with that special voice to sing the Allegri S1 with confidence and clarity. Congratulations Charles on your good fortune.
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 964
    do record it and share, please!
  • SamuelDorlaque
    Posts: 318
    Charles,
    Wonderful to hear! For those who would like to do Allegri, but don't have a singer assured of high "c," CPDL has an edition
    which has the Coro II rewritten a fourth down: on the last page of the edition. You would need to point the rest of the verses.
    But with the history of the piece, I don't think it would be out of line to do it this way. We sing the verses on Tone 2, but does anyone follow Rutter's suggestion of using the Tonus peregrinus?

    Charles, I look forward to meeting you in person one day soon.
    Sam Dorlaque
    Saint Edward, Newark CA
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Dear Sam,
    And I you ASAP. Say hello to Fr. Jeff from Wendy and me. And I hope Oakland is blessed with the appointment of a most worthy successor to Abp. Vigneron.
    Charles
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    That's a terrific story.

    No way I could hit C3, but I can imagine that if I did, there would still be challenges awaiting--singing the 4 following notes steadily.
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    Nothing a little invasive surgery couldn't solve.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    :-)
  • David AndrewDavid Andrew
    Posts: 1,204
    Men plan (or doubt), God laughs.

    Very best wishes. As a conductor (choir trainer) myself, nothing is more thrilling than wishing you could do this piece or that, and then having everything line up so that it actually happens. I just experienced this with my all-volunteer choir. I hoped one day they'd sing Howells' "Like as the hart," and two weeks ago, they did!
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    So happy for your parish and you.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
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