Pontifical Solemn High Mass
  • I'm so excited my parish is hosting Bishop Athanasius Schneider for its first ever Pontifical Solemn High Mass for the Feast of St. Raphael! Any suggestions for a good polyphonic Mass setting? I'm gonna be recruiting choir members from far and wide for this one! We usually have barely two on a part.
    Thanked by 1Casavant Organist
  • If you can pull it off - Rheinberger's spectacular Mass in E Flat Major "Cantus Missae" Opus 109 would be fabulous. It's for double choir. The setting caused Rheinberger to be awarded the Order of St. Gregory from Pope Leo XIII. Where is this happening?
  • Sacred Heart of Jesus, Winchester, VA.
  • Palestrina - Missa Brevis (oldie but a goodie) or Missa Ave Regina Caelorum (a very beautiful setting). Either is easily learned, but will require some work / coordination.

    Best of luck!
  • Any sort of accompaniment or a cappella? SATB, or do you want to be a little more ambitious?
  • Depending on how much of a surprise you like, you could prepare Sir Edward Elgar's Ave Verum, although it's not a Mass setting.

    For Mass settings, do you know the Hassler Missa Secunda or Missa Dixit Maria?
  • We'll only have room for a cappella. Not any orchestra or anything, as cool as that would be
  • stulte
    Posts: 355
    If you can get the singers, you may want to give Monteverdi's Missa In Illo Tempore for 6 voices a try. He also wrote some 4 voice Mass settings that are very nice as well.
  • I second, third, and fourth the Cantus Missae of Rheinberger, and lack a better suggestion.
    Thanked by 1Casavant Organist
  • Organ accompaniment is out of the question?
  • Organ accompaniment is not out of the question. I don't think we'll have enough time to prepare the Rheinberger, as beautiful as it is.
  • Tallis - Missa Puer nobis

    Any Monteverdi.
  • vansensei
    Posts: 215
    Look for any Masses on here, IMSLP or CPDL.
  • Joseph Zangl's Ludwigmesse is a decent little mass. Yes, it's from the Caecilian Period, but it's still a good-sounding piece and it's not too hard to learn, either for voices or organ.