My 2-part SB Ave Maria which I posted here some time ago works at least as well (if not better) if the baritone part is transposed up an octave, as an alto part. I'm enclosing the SA score (PDF) and a soundfile (MP3) that is synthesized from the Finale source.
The two-part canonic writing is much more evident, and the crossing of voices should present no problems. Through the first part, the canon at the unison is strict, except for cadences at mulieribus and at Jesus Christus. The Sancta Maria ... pro nobis section is a canon at the lowered fourth, again with modification at the cadence. A non-strict canon by inversion concludes the piece. I hope you all enjoy it.
Note: The original SB version also becomes an SAB motet, with the addition of a non-canonic "alto descant" part. I have also posted this here previously. Both this SAB and the SB versions are also available at CPDL.
Chuck, I like it, I like it. It has the classic Giffen wandering other world-ness to it. I put this SA Ave Maria on the desktop to be used in the next couple months by 'Voces angelorum', our new Compline choir of all women. I guess I'll make a post concerning the only non-convent, all-women choir chanting Compline. For starters: Besides the traditional SSAA format, we also have the forces to do: Soprano, Mezzo, Alto, Tenor, which works well when transcribing music from the Renaissance . Thanks again, regards, as always, jefe
I've taken a look at your editions on CPDL.org I' like what I see, and will introduce them to some of my friends. Your Sop-Bar version also looks like a good piece to hand to one of my friends who is trying to learn organ at the moment. Two independant singing voices will force him to learn how to read two lines of music at once!
I've been away from the Forum for quite some time and was happy to wander back in and find something that will be a treat for my singers to try out when we reconvene in a few weeks. Many thanks!
Adam, I think TB or S/T top part and A/B bottom part is workable. Originally, the top part was the soprano and the bottom part was the baritone (down an octave) of a three-part setting, where the "descant" alto part was more or less sandwiched in between the two parts. Without that "descant" line, the piece became the SBar original setting, and then I decided to try moving the Bar part up and octave and arrived at the present SA setting. I now "hear" the two-part piece as being for SA, but certainly there are other possibilities that should work: your suggestions and the original SBar setting.
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