Composed with Healey Willan, Charles Wood et al in mind. Gloria yet to be written but in the works. I still consider this a draft so would appreciate any suggestions.
This is quite lovely. And, as per your avowed exemplars, quite Anglican in spirit. I spotted a couple of parallels in the Kyrie, and a few other details, but quite admire what you have done. You should tidy it up here and there, and send it to Edmund Murray, our choirmaster at Walsingham. It's really beautiful.
I agree with MJO, very good work. There were some cadences that took me by surprise, like the Sanctus, 2nd Hosanna in the highest, but the more I listened to it, the more appreciation came to me. A Good Contemporary work.
Love this! As an ordinariate Choirmaster myself, this is a very useful setting. I really enjoy the tight harmonies and simple voice leading. It is a very tranquil setting! I can hear this as a very peaceful evening mass setting, or even as a Midnight Mass ordinary.
Kyrie- On first hearing, I find some of the cadences sound unbalanced. I think it has to do with the final tonality of each statement of the first Kyrie. The first 2 resolve to tonic. M.8 is especially final sounding because of the perfect cadence with cadential figure in the tenor. Then on the 3rd kyrie (m.13) you resolve to the dominant. In the second set of kyries, every statement of the kyrie resolves to the dominant. (the final kyrie is so lush and beautiful by the way!). One possible solution is to switch the 2nd and 3rd statements of the kyrie, maybe?
Sanctus- Love it! Benedictus - Also beautiful! I would reconsider m.15 through the end, I think. In my reading, the music loses it's harmonic drive with the half rest at m.16. The whole movement starts with a very contemplative Sanctus, and then the harmonic rhythm picks up with the Benedictus. The inner voices drive it forward have a lot of movement, and the whole thing leads up to a huge perfect half cadence, and then SILENCE! and a fall back to the f minor. I think I would either eliminate this rest and keep the Sopranos on their c or higher, or possibly shorten the tenor figure to a quarter note on the e natural with the "-sa-" of "hosanna" on the downbeat of the next measure, perhaps on the high F. This would make the phrase more lyrical, I think (but then again, maybe I'm misinterpreting your designs)
Agnus Dei- This is so lush. WOW. Gorgeous! I love the final phrase on "Grant us thy peace." I think maybe the 2nd statement of the Agnus Dei, esp at mm 21-23 could be abbreviated. At the very least, I would never put a breath at m.21 after "mercy."
Wow, thanks for the detailed comments! Certainly going to give this a revision and will post when done.
I'd also be interested to hear thoughts about dynamic markings. I included them almost as an afterthought, and I think I have too many. During certain moments I would definitely keep the dynamics - the quiet opening of the Sanctus, and the strong second "that takest away the sins of the world" . But the Kyrie tropes I am happy to leave to the good taste of the choirmaster.
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