Oculus Non Vidit - 1 Corinthians 2:9
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    This composition is especially for M. Jackson Osborn, who mentioned on a different thread that he "would gladly hold [his] breath for someone here to write an anthem or motet on this text." This is my attempt. Computer-rendered playback and free PDF are available at http://www.catholicliving.net/oculus-non-vidit/

    I must say that it is very difficult to write music concerning that which the ear hath not heard.

    Just a couple of things to note. I have emphasized word painting with this setting over complexity, so there is a fair amount of repetition (though varied), and the piece has its share of I, IV, and V chords. (I came up with a theme I liked and stuck with it.) Also there is an intentional direct fifth at measure 11, where the Alto drops past the Tenor's previous note. I was going for a low sound here on audivit with the Bass, Tenor, and Alto forming the D-flat major chord.

    Feedback is welcome, and I hope the piece may be of use.
    Thanked by 10CHGiffen sdtalley3 WGS Andrew_Malton Heath Elmar CCooze chonak Kathy Salieri
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,414
    I am moved to tears and near speechless.
    This stands beside P's Sicut Cervus.
    It is a stepping stone from now to forever..

    If Bach wasn't afraid of directs or parallels here and there why should we be.
    It's all in the artistry.

    I would really like to give the score of this to our choirmaster at Walsingham.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Drake Salieri
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Drake, this is incredibly moving and sensitively faithful to the text. I am in awe of its beauty and, like Jackson, am moved to tears. It is a two-minute foretaste of heaven.
    Thanked by 4M. Jackson Osborn sdtalley3 Drake Salieri
  • sdtalley3sdtalley3
    Posts: 263
    As always Drake your work is very sublime, I especially appreciate how predictably unpredictable the voices work together, and by that I mean: the melodic lines are easily followable, but then you create certain leaps to accommodate the entrance of another voice. It has a nice modern spin that works for your style.
    Thanked by 1Drake
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    I couldn't write back to the comments sooner because I had to work, but thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am speechless because of the wonderful things you have said. I really do not know how to respond.

    MJO, it was late yesterday when I posted the score, and I realized I put an 'e' on the end of Osborn, so that is now fixed. Of course you may give the score to whomever you wish. I am honored that you would share it with your choirmaster.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,414
    I forgot to mention that it also seems to have spiritual affinity with Parsons's Ave Maria.
    Thanked by 3Drake CHGiffen tomjaw
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    May God be glorified in the works He performs through His unworthy creatures! I’ve been paid about as high a compliment for this piece as I think a composer of sacred music can receive—to have my work compared with that of Palestrina (Sicut Cervus no less) and likened to a foretaste of heaven. And by real musicians, while I am just an amateur. I am truly at a loss for words. I cannot take credit for the gifts God has given me, so all I can say is glory be to God!
    Thanked by 6M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen tomjaw Elmar Chris Garton-Zavesky JonLaird
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,414
    ...real musicians, while I am just an amateur.
    Ha! Some 'real musicians' should hope be such 'amateurs'.
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen tomjaw Elmar Drake
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    with Parsons's Ave Maria.

    One of the finest pieces of music ever written. Which reminds me we need to sing this sometime within the next couple of months.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn Drake
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    I found an error in the Latin text of the motet, which was also present in the source I used. The word iis in the previous edition should be his. I have updated the PDF and have also just uploaded it to CPDL.
    Thanked by 3tomjaw M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 297
    Hey Drake, I was looking back over your piece recently. It is, indeed, wonderful. I had a question about the final cadence. Is there a reason you end on a 2nd inversion chord? To my ear, it sounds a little unstable; I would expect the bass to drop back down to the A-flat.
    Thanked by 1Drake
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 326
    Utterly gorgeous!!!! Thank you for this wonderful gift, Mr. real musician! No one but a real musician could have done this, with a heart for the highest things that music can achieve, that is, the lifting of the soul to God.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Drake
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    @liampmcdonough, thank you for you kind words. I think I ended that way because I wanted the final cadence to "squeeze together" or move inwardly. At the same time, I wanted the entire chord present, and I didn't want the bass crossing over the tenor. The inversion sounded good to my ear but also perhaps a little different from what the ear would expect (drawing on the text). I agree it is unusual for the bass not to end on the tonic.

    @m_r_taylor, that is really kind of you. Thank you!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Skladach
    Posts: 19
    This motet strikes me immediately as music for the liturgy. Fine work! Hindemith's "La Biche" ("The Doe", French text by Rainer Maria Rilke), an unaccompanied SATB work, similarly ends on a 2nd-inversion chord, suggesting lightness and motionlessness yet suspense. The effect works quite well in a choral depiction of "what the ear hath not heard" in eternity.
    Thanked by 3Drake CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    With the bottom 3 notes forming a 2nd inversion triad, there is a sonority that actually can be quite pleasant and often yields an audible resultant root (tonic, fundamental) note. This is the case with the syllable "-ling" (m.15) in my "Bring us, O Lord God" and can be seen/heard at this thread. I can hear the same effect (a resultant low A-flat) with "Oculus Non Vidit".

    While the tenor could have moved down to E-flat (instead of up to A-flat) and the bass could have moved down to A-flat (instead of up to E-flat), thus achieving a cadence with all notes of the chord present, I really cannot fault the choice that was made, especially in light of the comment as to why it was done that way.
    Thanked by 4M. Jackson Osborn sdtalley3 Drake m_r_taylor
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 326
    Gorecki hangs out for ages (and ends) on that 2nd inversion on Totus Tuus.

    With the right singers and context a 2nd inversion A flat chord an octave even further down can do that same root-reinforcement in quite a wonderful way.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Drake
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    A second inversion tonic chord can seem like...eternity. (Unless and until a cadenza follows it.)

    It can make sense. Just like leaving out the third can make sense for vocal works designed to be performed in a resonant acoustic - let the ear and space do their magic.
    Thanked by 2Drake CHGiffen
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 297
    We hastily put this together for a parish funeral. Did the best we could! Not the greatest audio, and we made some mistakes, but if you are interested in a live version, here is the stream url. Input is from choir area mics that picked up way more of the women than the men; take it for what it is...

    Starts at 1:03:44.

    https://vimeo.com/640004006
    Thanked by 4sdtalley3 M. Jackson Osborn Drake Salieri
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,414
    Very nice, Liam!
    What is the church in which this took place?
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 297
    This is the diocesan church St. Anthony of Padua. The Requiem was too large for our little ordinariate parish's chapel, so the family asked for a Divine Worship funeral at St Anthony's, their former parish.
    Thanked by 4M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen sdtalley3 Drake
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Lovely!!!
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    @liampmcdonough, thank you so much for singing this and for sharing it with me!

    While it was not necessarily the most joyful occasion, ours is most certainly a Faith of hope in the mercy of God, which endures forever. I will say a prayer for the repose of Luis' soul.
    Thanked by 2sdtalley3 CHGiffen
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I don't know how I managed to miss this back in February: This is a really excellent piece, which I will be sharing with some other choir directors that I know. And yes, the ending works perfectly.

    And Liam's choir's performance was very nice, and effective. (In spite of the recording limitations.)
    Thanked by 1Drake
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