Looking for one piece SA/SSA/SAA music for Good Friday. It must be unaccompanied and not too complex or high (not higher than G5.). It's too late to order but I'm happy to purchase online. Thank you for any ideas you have to offer.
How about Heath Morber's high voice, 2-part adaptation of a Maternus Beringer canon? Heath put the text "Christ became obedient unto death..." to it. You could add a psalm tone verse in order to repeat it as many times as needed. http://englishmotets.com
CPDL has several settings for women's voices, including — Brahms SSAA — Giffen SA — Lassus, two settings for SSA — Lassus, a stunningly beautiful setting for five high voices — Martini TTB, works well up an octave for SSA — Palestrina SSAA — Ravanello SSA — Reiner SSA — Remondi SSA — Saladino SSA
Canadash, plenty of options on my English Motets site! But even better is the adaptation of O Come and Mourn I did several years ago. I'm away from my desk right now and thus can't attach it, but a little searching on this site will turn it up. It was a fine arrangement that I "improved" and it's probably EXACTLY what you're looking for. :)
Here is my 2-part setting of "Adoramus te, Christe" (the Antiphon for the Transfer of the Blessed Sacrament on Good Friday), newly revised. It was composed in memory of my uncle Carl J. Hauptmann, who was a Deacon (also the doctor who removed my tonsils when I was a child).
Caspar Othmayer has a wonderful two part setting of "Aus tiefer Not" (Psalm 130) for TB or SA as no. XIII in "Bicinia sacra" (1547). I have not found a modern edition, but the original part books are very legible and can be used directly. The top voice uses the C4 clef ("tenor clef") and has one ligatura (upward stem), but as it is the famous cantus firmus, this should not be a problem. The bottom voice is in bass clef (F4). If you are interested, I can send you a scan of the two voices. As there are only two voices and the setting is strophic, it is not much effort to transcribe it if your singers cannot read the original notation. A public domain singable Enlglish translation is "Out of the depth I cry to Thee" by Winkworth.
Sorry, forgot to mention the obvious: Vexilla regis. CPDL lists many settings, some of which are for equal voices. Even the setting by Palestrina includes one stanza for three parts, which, appropriately transposed, can be sung with SAA, and you can also underlay a different stanza if necessary.
"Vere Languores Nostros" by Lotti, for three equal voices. There are several versions on CPDL; the original key is G minor, I think, but there's a good one in F minor (though that one may have the lowest part in bass clef, as this one is also often done by TTB.) Short (it can easily be repeated) but beautiful, and particularly fitting for Good Friday with its poignant text: "Truly He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows..."
To participate in the discussions on Catholic church music, sign in or register as a forum member, The forum is a project of the Church Music Association of America.