Motecta or Cantiones?
  • Mark M.Mark M.
    Posts: 632
    All other things being equal, if you had to choose, would you purchase Kevin Allen's "Motecta Trium Vocum" (3 parts, equal voices, can be done with mixed choir) or his "Cantiones Sacrae Simplices" (SATB)?

    This would be for a mixed choir (size fluctuates, probably about ten people, slightly more women than men) of skilled singers (mostly college music majors). As is always the case for everyone, rehearsal time is at a premium.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    >>slightly more women than men)
    SAB
    Thanked by 1Mark M.
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Motecta, no doubt.
    Thanked by 2Mark M. Adam Wood
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    I love all of Kevin's stuff, but I'm afraid the "Simplices" collection was mis-labeled. These may be slightly easier than his normal SATB stuff, but some of these are pretty darn hard.

    Plus, the Motecta has some absolute gems: Tantum, Ave Sacer, O Sacrum, Desidero . . . it's amazing, and I've had a lot of success doing it with a trio of voices in a few different combinations.

    With an SATB group, I recommend having the top line sung by altos/high tenors, middle line by sopranos (in their octave, of course), and baritones/basses on the lower line. You can shift the key a bit either way, if need be, but it usually works at the given pitch.
  • Mark M.Mark M.
    Posts: 632
    All good to know! And that's an interesting approach to singing the pieces with mixed choirs… different than what's indicated in the book itself (i.e., "trebles" on the top line, men on bottom, and altos/high tenors on the middle line). By contrast, your approach would seem to result in more closely-voiced harmonies.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,086
    "All things being equal", Jeff O would offer single-motet offprints from Cantiones.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,477
    "All things being equal"

    This would make a good title for a collection of equal-voiced motets based on Gregorian Chant pieces.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    I think MJM's reserved that for the RTP.
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