Male only polyphony arrangements for a wedding.
  • WendiWendi
    Posts: 638
    Good morning,

    A reader of my blog has asked if I know of any male only polyphony arrangements, for her daughter's wedding.

    This will be a Nuptial Mass in the Ordinary Form.

    My email is gjwandkids@gmail.com if you'd rather just send it there than post here.

    I will be posting the information on my blog, so if you'd rather remain anonymous please let me know. I will give you the credit, unless you request that I not.

    Thanks very much.
    Wendi
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Hi Wendi,
    This title has come up on other wedding threads, and it is generally accompanied, but might fair quite well a capella: "Der Herr segne euch" by JSBach. English translation works nicely. Even tho' just two parts, your guys better be able to count; two tons of fun to sing, as well as beautiful in both text and song.
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Wendi, check out Kevin Allen's Motecta Trium Vocum. Marvelous pieces, most of which could be used at Communion.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,086
    Ecce sic benedicitur is the Tract for the nuptial mass in the EF, and the secunda pars of Rore’s Beati omnes sets the text for TTTB (with the 2nd T/altus line pretty baritonal.). T 1 is pretty high (f#-g’, with most above middle c) and might go better with a falsettist (there’s not really room to take it down unless you have a bass with solid territory below G). An abbreviated version of the same text serves as the communion, so at the least you could use it as a free motet. Speaking of “free”. It’s at http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/3/36/Beate_Omnes.pdf
  • WendiWendi
    Posts: 638
    Thank you all very much.

    I have no idea what the capabilities of the singers are, just that there are only men singing, and her priest is supportive of traditional music.

    We had a full mixed voices Schola for my daughter's Nuptial Mass, and I'm just learning my way around Sacred Music, so I'm hesitant to suggest pieces other than what I already know is appropriate.

    Thank you all. I posted all of your suggestions on the blog. With the Kevin Allen Motets I just sent her to the page on ccwatershed.

    If you think of anything else please let me know. I'm encouraging an uprising from the pews across the United States to demand better music. However the treasury of the church is vast and I don't want everyone to just copy what I'm agitating for at my parish.

    Pax Christi
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Several years ago, I recall singing at a wedding with eight male voices (four parts, two to a part), and although I don't recall all the pieces that we sang, I know we sang the Tallis "If ye love me" and the Palestrina "Sicut cervus". The links are to CPDL editions by Edward Tambling, and the Palestrina score contains, in addition to the Prima pars "Sicut cervus", the Secunda pars "Sitivit anima mea" (which may be omitted if brevity is desired).
    Thanked by 1Wendi
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,414
    Don't overlook Lassus' Cantiones Duarum Vocum - a set of twelve motets for two equal voices. The singers, actually, could be male or female as long as they are two voices of the same register. Most of the texts are from Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Solomon, etc. There are several that would be appropriate for nuptials.
    Thanked by 1Wendi
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    MJO - My goodness! I'd completely forgotten about these - having only sung them years and years and years ago!
  • WendiWendi
    Posts: 638
    Thank you so very much. :)
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    You might consider this, as well: http://www.ccwatershed.org/3voice/
    Thanked by 1Wendi
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    I posted the ATB version of my 3-part Ave Maria (a cappella) in another thread. Here's the link to the PDF: Giffen-Ave Maria a 3-low.pdf. By omitting the middle (tenor) part, it may also be sung as a 2-part motet.
  • WendiWendi
    Posts: 638
    Many Thanks.

    The learning never stops. Which considering the fact that I have 7 more children to marry off...is a good thing. ;)
    Thanked by 3Ragueneau CHGiffen canadash
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