St. Patrick's Breastplate - men's voices
  • Fr. Ambrose
    Posts: 4
    Hello friends! I'm new to this forum, and come at the recommendation of the intrepid Jeffrey Tucker. I'm looking for a choral version of St. Patrick's Breastplate. I once heard the Pontifical North American College (Rome) choir sing a lovely version of it for organ and men's choir - alternating unison verses and choral verses (if memory serves). Does anyone know where I can find such a setting?
    I'm a canon of St. Michael's Abbey in Orange, CA, and we're hoping to put that together for our summer ordinations.
    Any help would be much appreciated. God bless you!
    Fr. Ambrose
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 857
    Here is what you need, I think.

    Paul F. Ford, Ph.D.
    Professor of Theology and Liturgy
    St. John Seminary
    5012 Seminary Road
    Camarillo, CA 93012-2598
    Saint Patrick and Deirdre melody line.pdf
    74K
    Deirdre.pdf
    85K
    Stanford-St_Patricks_Breastplate.pdf
    39K
  • Fr. Ambrose
    Posts: 4
    Thank you, Dr. Ford. I have all of the above in various hymnals here at the abbey. What I have my eye out for, more specifically, is a particular setting for men's voices with organ interludes between verses. We might just have to come up with such a setting ourselves...I just thought I might save some time by finding one ready-made.
    Anyone else out there have some ideas?
    Cum precibus in Christo Matreque Eius,
    P. Ambrosius, peccator
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    Here's my thought on it- The hymn is already very long, altho certainly my favorite Ordination /Trinity Hymn. Why add organ interludes to a perfect thing already? Sing the four-pt verse TTBB.

    Donna
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 857
    Donna's suggestions are mine, Father Ambrose. I can send you the Finale files. I produced the melody edition and the four-part Deirdre section for my seminary schola.
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    So happy a scholar such as Dr. Ford would agree with a humbre church musician!! LOL It makes my day. Have not so many good days lately. Will tell more next week.

    Donna
  • Fr. Ambrose
    Posts: 4
    Thanks so much, Dr. Ford and Donna! You are absolutely right, it's a long hymn already, so your suggestions are just the thing. Dr. Ford, would you be so kind as to send me the Finale files? If you'd rather not post them here, then you can email them to me (frambrosecriste@gmail.com).
    Since you are in Southern California, perhaps you might like to pay us a visit here at the abbey sometime. One of the upcoming solemnities - Corpus Christi this Thursday, or St. Norbert's Day on Monday the 7th would be great choices.
    Thanks again, and God bless you.
    Fr. Ambrose
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 857
    I sent these files directly to Father Ambrose; but does anyone need them posted here?
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    I would also recommend the recordings done by St. Michael's Abbey and available from Jade Records. There's an "Anthology" album and one with the music for the three Masses of Christmas. Available from Amazon (and probably from the Abbey as well). If you've never heard the Norbertines sing, it's quite delightful. And who would have thought it in Orange County?

    As my holiday mitzvah, here's the address.
  • Fr. Ambrose
    Posts: 4
    MJBallou - Thanks for the kind plug. God certainly has been very, very good to us...with many worthy vocations and many fine musicians.
    Please do support us with those CDs, and even more importantly, come and join us for any of the Liturgical Hours, Holy Mass, or our daily Eucharistic Holy Hour here at the abbey.
    All are welcome!
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