Who are your favorite composers writing in a chant style using vernacular languages?

Jenny Donelson

Hi all,

Whose work do you like that you think captures the Gregorian idioms and sets the English language well?

Since Fr. Samuel Weber is my colleague here at St. Patrick's and I esteem his work greatly and use it nearly daily, I'm obviously looking for some more exemplars beyond his work.

I'd be grateful for your to share what you find most excellent. Please include a link or samples and a website or name.

I'm grateful for your responses!

smvanroode

Not English, but Dutch: in the Netherlands there’s one group of monastic composers that have mastered vernacular chant that is both entirely new and at the same time deeply rooted in the heritage of Gregorian chant. A couple examples:

Psalm 23: De Heer is mijn herder
Psalm 27: De Heer is mijn licht en mijn heil
Psalm 85: Doe ons, Heer, uw genade aanschouwen
Psalm 51: God, herschep mijn hart
Psalm 40: Hier ben ik, God, uw wil te doen is mijn vreugde

This group (Intermonasteriële Werkgroep voor Liturgie, IWVL for short) has put together a complete set of hymns, antiphons and through composed psalms and canticles, published as Abdijboek. Their compositions are used in abbeys as well as parish churches.

In English, I’m a fan of the work of Theodore Marier (for example his ‘Saints of God’).

irishtenor

This might be an obvious answer, but Adam Bartlett's work in this field is extensive and of quality. I am partial to his Simple English Propers, though he has a lot more available through the former Lumen Christi volumes which are now a part of Source and Summit.

Caleferink

Fr. Columba Kelly, God rest his soul

haquino126

Paul Jernberg has been composing some beautiful settings, propers, and other devotional pieces. He has uploaded a number of videos on his youtube channel. He has composed SATB arrangements for the congregation responses in the Mass as well. (And with your spirit, Amen, Lord I am not worthy, etc.) I had the honor of working for Paul Jernberg for a few years and have been constantly promoting his work! I would consider his style to be Eastern and Western Chant in SATB. Quite lovely!

Here is one production we worked on, "Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
(A fully sung Mass for Persecuted Christians)"
https://youtu.be/lT6tSaBmqFc?si=HfuvZs8azwqK8pR4

oldhymns

This may not be exactly what you are looking for, but one of my favorite hymns, learned in recent years, is "With Christ," in the style of Ambrosian Chant. Below I am posting a recording of this hymn from my website www.catholicdevotionalhymns.com John C. Wu authored the words, and the music was composed by Paul Cross (Justin Mulchay, CP, 1894-1981). The accompaniment is by Anthony Cirella, a blind composer who worked for the Archdiocese of Boston starting in 1944. He had several compositions, including "With Christ," published by McLaughlin & Reilly. Anthony Cirella, who died in 2019, was a fascinating person as you will see from his obituary which I have also attached.

https://www.catholicdevotionalhymns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Advent2023-09_-_With_Christ.mp3

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/anthony-cirella-obituary?id=1851388

Roborgelmeister

"With Christ" is toward the back of this issue of Caelia. Up front, it is reviewed: WITH CHRIST by Paul Cross; for Unison Voices and Organ Accompaniment. To the text of the Chinese poet John Wu, Paul Cross has added a 4th Mode melody similar to that of his familiar "Mary the Dawn". The style of the composer will be recognized in the shape of the melody, the balance of the phrases and the responsorial character of verses.

https://media.musicasacra.com/publications/caecilia/caecilia_v81n06_1954_09.pdf

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