Three Part Choral Gradual (TESTBED) : by Francis Koerber
  • francis
    Posts: 10,709
    Hi All:

    I am striking out into new territory... choral propers. These are mostly homophonic, but have some modern harmonic progressions to them, but are still based in the tradition of chant. Let me know what you all think. This is kind of a testing ground to see if anyone would use them.

    You will be able to download the score and listen to the sib samples on my catalogue page found here:

    see and download the score here

    Look under: Complimentary (FREE!) Scores

    This is a 'test' set of three propers in English for this coming Sunday.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,460
    At last! 3-parts... someone noticed that the usual gender distribution in a volunteer church choir doesn't match the SATB model very well.
    I was just thinking the other day how much I needed more SAB choral music.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,068
    There are a couple places where for me the seconds "bump" awkwardly, and I wonder how the tuning in the more chromatic passages will go. Stylistically, they remind me a bit of the Guillaume Legrant Credo and Gloria (ca. 1410). As Adam said, it's certainly the sort of thing that is needed. Let us know how these go in performance, and their reception.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,709
    yea, i've got one of those gender challenged ensembles. mine also suffers from the lack of humans, probably because of the sad sin of birth prevention.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,068
    Which is not as bad as cabbages disguised as humans.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,709
    Yes, I always tend to bump my seconds. Be careful not to hurt yourself if you do.
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 757
    Can't think of any connection with the amazing vanishing thread, so I'll just say that harmonic chant is something that the Ordinariat might bring to the tradition ...
  • francis
    Posts: 10,709
    ian... please explain in simple english about the amazing vanishing thread... i have a simple mind.
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 757
    I could have sworn that Noel had begun a thread about angry comments. To be fair, I've had a bad case of the flu' and may have been self-medicating, but I'm sure it was there and then it wasn't.

    That aside, Anglican chant is already there as a form of harmonic chant. It will be interesting to see if the Ordinariats bring it to the patrimony.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,709
    ah... the blog gods sent it into the cyber-abyss. so let this be a lesson to us all. sometimes what you say in public on the internet doesn't always remain there for all the world to see. however, its effect is permanently burned into my mind, and i will never be the same person... all because of FNJ!
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 757
    I thought that was the great virtue of the interweb? Never, mind: we still have FNJ, and for that may we be truly thankful!
  • francis
    Posts: 10,709
    Wind the Frog! (Woody, Toystory 1)
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 757
    No, you've lost me Francis. A popular culture reference?
  • francis
    Posts: 10,709
    you had to see the movie, Toystory 1, and you will see that the 'Frog' has a pivotal part in saving the toys from destruction by Sid... the boy who blows up toys.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,709
    OK... so far, bumping 2nds is the only comment on this? Jeffrey... tried to look up the Guillaume Legrant Credo, but no where to be found on the internet... do you have a digital copy?

    What about interest in utilizing for liturgy? Anyone? No one? Is it too modern? Would you like it to be a simpler harmonic style? Don't worry about hurting my feelings. It's just music notes on a page at this point. (No heavy investment on my part, and very little time to get this far. Three hours perhaps, on the day I posted this)

    You can also email me privately if you don't want to post comments here.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,460
    The idea is wonderful. SAB is a real need.
    I think that without psalm verses (set to tones or composed through) the pieces are of little practical value- they're just so short.
    As to the writing itself... I thought it was nice, but not particularly inspired or inspiring. But I have a difficult problem separating my personal tastes from a judgement of quality, so take my opinion with a grain of kosher sea salt.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,709
    yea, thought about the verses... should put those in.

    what are you favorite styles of music? (composers)
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