Shouting From the Rooftops
  • JohnNaples
    Posts: 6
    Hello Y'all:
    I just wanted to let everyone know of my work on the St. Charles Garnier Acclamations at ccwatershed.org. Since about August 2012 I have been arranging over 400 or so, and counting, of the organ/vocal settings, and composing verses settings. They are arranged for organ with cantor and congregation. Except for the Jenco Alleluia, the refrains are originally composed by Mr. Jeff Ostrowski. I arrange them for organ and cantor or choir and compose new settings of the verses. This includes Alleluias in honor of Frs. Bressani, Le Caron, Dablon, Chastellain, Vimont, Lalemant, Chaumonot, and Jenco. The settings are usually posted around the beginning of each week. I have heard that these settings have become well-used, with many 1000's of downloads, but wanted to get the word out myself, here. In addition to blowing my own horn, any open discussion from those who use my settings would be both welcome and helpful. That way I could have some idea what to retain and what to revise. It is nice to do this type of work but would be great not to do it in a vacuum. Your feedback is appreciated! Regards,
    Jon Naples
    Thanked by 6Paul_Onnonhoaraton ContraBombarde canadash hilluminar Kathy CHGiffen
  • Paul_OnnonhoaratonPaul_Onnonhoaraton
    Posts: 434
    The sheer amount of scores added by Mr. Naples over the last year is amazing --- something like 425 scores so far! They have been downloaded more than 5,000 times, so they seem to be having a positive impact.

    I commend his fine work, and I hope others will do as he requests: give him FEEDBACK.

    Website where you can see his work: garnieralleluias.org

    Very soon, I will be adding his contributions for the Feast of Corpus Christi.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • hilluminar
    Posts: 119
    We use the Dablon (mode I), Le Caron (mode II), Vimont (mode VII), and Chaumonot (mode VIII) Alleluias because they are in the Simple Gradual. For years I just played these Alleluias with block chord accompanyments. For the verses from the Lectionary, we used the appropriate psalm tone to go with the Alleluia. We really appreciate an actual accompaniment and verses written out in the Garnier Alleluias. We use these all the time now. We have also added Cardinal Pole (mode V), and Fr. Le Moyne (mode VIII).

    I make one exception on the Le Caron Alleluia. I play open 5ths throughout and do not use Mr. Naples' accompanyment. It just sounds so wonderfully medieval that way.

    The accompaniment for the mode VIII Alleluia out of Fr. Carlo Rossini's book of Propers uses the D major key exclusively. Every C is sharped. If you are used to Rossini, not sharping half the C's in the Vimont Garnier Alleluia sounds a bit odd. Therefore, I now sharp all the Cs in Mr. Naples accompaniment; however, considering the mode, I think that the Cs should actually not be sharped. But people like what they are used to.

    The Holy William Coutier Alleluia is also contained in the Simple Gradual and is familiar. It just seems a little harder for people to grasp, so we have put it on hold for the moment.

    It would be great to have a mode VI Alleluia in addition to the others. Everyone seems to be familiar with this Alleluia.
  • ChoirMember
    Posts: 2
    Wow--our choir has been using one of the arrangements, but I had no idea there were so many.

    (By the way, it's Dr. Naples, according to his website--Doctorate in Composition from USC.)
  • Jazzer
    Posts: 34
    Well, in the interests of not creating too many new threads, I just used the forum search tool, looking for "Jon Naples" and found this thread.

    Dr. Naples, I have in my hands 3 brand new copies of "Offertory" and I am STOKED.
    I heard the 3 part recordings on youtube of Psalms 30 and 34 some months ago, and fell in love... aahh..

    I'm working towards the 17th Sunday of overtime (Psalm 30) and... uh oh... the SEPs we've been working on... don't match up! I read in the intro to the book that you used Adam Bartlett's SEPs for everything EXCEPT 17OT. DOH!

    Hahaha... I'll be OK. We've been listening to that Psalm 30 in rehearsal every week and I couldn't understand why it was nowhere to be found in SEPs. It is GORGEOUS. SUBLIME, whatever... WORDS NO WORKY.

    For anyone wondering what I'm talking about, here is the youtube link to Psalm 30, which is from the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time in "Offertory". THIS IS AWESOME

    Here is Psalm 34, taken from the 20th Sunday of OT THIS TOO IS AWESOME

    Dr. Naples, thank-you so much for your masterful work on this. I and my parish will make use of it!

  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Buy your choir a set. That's what I did.
    From a fellow Californian, thank you Dr. Naples. I can't wait for rehearsals to start in August.
Add a Comment