Practical Mass Setting for Tenors and Basses
  • albert_powers
    Posts: 3
    Hello, all. I'm getting married in May and have a men's small ensemble singing one hymn during Mass, but I would love to have them sing the remainder of the Mass. Can anyone recommend a practical (meaning, not terribly lengthy) Mass setting for tenors and basses (men's alto is fine as well)? Please help. I'm running out of options. :)

    Thanks in advance,
    Al Powers, MD, PhD
  • mattcavoto
    Posts: 25
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  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,501
    No idea, but could you put snippets on "youtube"? I'd love to hear them!
  • mattcavoto
    Posts: 25
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  • albert_powers
    Posts: 3
    May 10. :) Tallis is beautiful, I agree, as is Byrd. Anything perhaps a bit shorter?
  • mattcavoto
    Posts: 25
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  • albert_powers
    Posts: 3
    Essentially the length of typical modern Mass settings, meant for functionality within the Mass itself, not necessarily as a stand-alone performance. For example, looking at Kevin Allen's Missa Rex Genitor, which is on the shorter side (http://www.ccwatershed.org/purchase_3_voice_Mass/). I would love something in the new English translation of the Mass, though. Thoughts?
  • R J StoveR J Stove
    Posts: 302
    There's a Gounod setting of the Mass for TTBB and organ which might be worthwhile; I tracked it down this afternoon. By no means all of Gounod's sacred music is as flamboyant and theatrical as the Saint Cecilia Mass for SATB and orchestra. But for this more austere production, you'll need tenors who are comfortable with quite a few high Gs; you'll also need an organist comfortable with the pedal-board, since quite often chords are too widely spaced to be managed by the hands alone:

    http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/9/95/Gounod_2eme_messe.pdf

    A brief Choral Wiki search suggests that motets for TTBB can be more readily found than Mass settings. I noted that Palestrina, Giovanni Anerio, and Lorenzo Perosi were all represented by motets for that combination.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    The Byrd Mass for Three Voices is very doable, is scored originally for ATBar. If transposed down a whole step or minor third, it is even more accessible for men's voices. The Christopher Braginetz and Sheila Crossey editions at CPDL are both pitched down a whole step and definitely worth a look.
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