Motets for Dec 8
  • cricketts
    Posts: 19
    My parish is having a TLM for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I would appreciate some suggestions on good motets for such an occasion.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,789
    Dixit Maria and Ave Maris Stella (Hasler) available on CPDL. Of course you could sing the Dixit Maria Mass as well (Including Credo!). (This was our programme for Rosary Sunday)
    Thanked by 4mmeladirectress CHGiffen JulieColl BruceL
  • madorganist
    Posts: 906
    I second tomjaw's suggestion. There are plenty of ideas here:
    http://www.canticanova.com/planning/year-b/plnic_m.htm
    If you want something easy, straightforward, and popular, there's always "O Sanctissima."
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,199
    Tota Pulchra Es-Durufle.
    Thanked by 4cricketts JulieColl mmeladirectress regissør
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    ** Tota Pulchra Es (either Lassus 2 voice or Ancient melody 3 voice)
    ** Ave Maris (Victoria) 4 voice
    ** Ave Maria (Arcadelt or attr. Victoria) 4 voice both
    ** O Sanctissima (Allen) 3 voice
    ** Ave Virgo Sanctissima (Guerrero) 5 voice
    ** a variety of Magnificat settings for faux bourdon 3 or 4 voice

    Let me know if you need music for any of the above. Dixit Maria is certainly a good option as well, haven't done his Ave Maris yet.
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • madorganist
    Posts: 906
    If your ladies aren't up to the Durufle but you have a fine soprano soloist, this is lovely as well:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybGy2fGHDAw
    Thanked by 1BruceL
  • Stella611
    Posts: 112
    Ave Maria … Virgo Serena (Josquin) - 4pt
    Ave Maria a'5 (Palestrina) - 5pt ; or I second all the other suggestions above, and will add there's a nice 2pt Ave Maria w/ organ by Perosi.
    Ecce Virgo Concipiet (Morales) - 4pt, very appropriate for the season AND feast!
    Dixit Maria (Hassler)
    Any version of Ave Maris Stella (chant or polyphony)
    Ave Verum Corpus is nice for communion, on such an occasion (chant, or Byrd, or Elgar w/organ)
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    Ave Maria for SATB voices, very singable, by yours truly.
    Thanked by 3JulieColl mmeladirectress Cantus67
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    Jean Mouton's Ave Maria has a unique sound, created by a canon by inversion between bass and alto, a true wonder. Its original text is a variant on our customary prayer, but on the Choral Public Domain web site, there are several versions, most of which give our customary text. This is a favorite of my choir.
    Thanked by 5CHGiffen Aristotle Esguerra rich_enough JulieColl mmeladirectress
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,934
    What's the, ahem, choral palate you have at your disposal?
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    Yes, important to have a sense of if whether one might support five voices, for example, common to Byrd's Magnificats. I am of the strong opinion that a choir can never have too many Magnificats in its repertoire quiver, as they are not only apropos for specifically Marian feasts and devotions, but also perfectly apropos for the Eucharistic divine liturgy at Communion and any time Christians are invited to praise God for Providential favors.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,092
    If you don't have much to work with, there's a nice Perosi unison Tota Pulchra Es on IMSLP.
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    Here is the Lassus 2 voice Tota Pulchra (I typically interpose a psalm verse before repeating it). By request...

    I should also have mentioned another by Balthasar-Florence that is quite lovely (also attached).
    Tota Pulchra Es - LASSUS.pdf
    116K
    164 Tota Pulchra Es - BALTHASAR-FLORENCE.pdf
    170K
    Thanked by 3MaestroMark32 mmeladirectress JulieColl
  • cricketts
    Posts: 19
    Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I am usually able to get 2 on a part with some pretty solid singers. We can do moderately difficult music. I'm very grateful to have such a dedicated bunch of people.
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Ne timeas, Maria (Victoria)
    Ave Maria (Johann Joseph Fux)

    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,103
    OH that 2v Lassus Tota Pulchra Es !
    I haven't sung that in decades - thanks for the reminder!
    (Incard - what psalm are you using, and in what tone?)
    Thanked by 1Incardination
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    :) Yes, it is very nice (as is the B-F).

    For the psalm, there are lots of options. Today, I would likely select one of the psalms from the Vespers - maybe Laudate Pueri on p. 152 of the Liber... Either 8G or 8C would have things to be said in their favor - I would likely go with 8C.

    The advantage... the lower voice ends on the SOL, which is the starting pitch of the incipit of the psalm tone (so I would have the lower voices sing the verse[s]), and 8C would end on the DO which is the starting pitch for the upper voice on the repeat of the piece. Having just sung the psalm verse, the lower voice will be prepared to re-enter on their SOL.
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,934
    another by Balthasar-Florence that is quite lovely


    I was practicing this piece in our local cathedral one day when one of the elderly canons came in to tell me to keep down the racket. As soon as he heard this piece, he began to reminisce about how he used to sing this piece as a choir boy growing up in Ohio. (This is the same canon who gave me a copy of the Gregory Peck film Keys to the Kingdom back when I was writing a screenplay about the Boxer Rebellion. A profoundly holy man in the simplest of ways.)
    Thanked by 3JulieColl Incardination mmeladirectress
  • Cantus67Cantus67
    Posts: 208
    Any of the above, of course, but I'm a HUGE fan of Ne Timeas Maria by Victoria. It's a little tough for amateurs but my choir is 85% non readers and they know it pretty well. T

    You can find a score here... https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4L7cTmcIRVEWHR5Y2t6bGdaS1U/view?usp=sharing
    There are also rehearsal MIDI's in the folder there.

    And here's a great recording, https://youtu.be/RJTS3N9EON4
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