Choir Books
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    I didn't see a better category for this topic, but please redirect if appropriate.

    I find - for a variety of reasons - that it is often better to build sets of books for my choirs rather than use something readily available. The book sets I produce are typically subject to periodic revision, either for content or as I discover issues. They include several chant books and several polyphony books. In my previous group, I had 3 chant books, a polyphony book, and a hymn book. In my current group, it is 3 chant books and 2 polyphony books - we have a parish hymnal already.

    In addition to the books, I have a supplemental binder. In the current group that contains hymns that are not in our standard hymnal as well as polyphony for the current season while I'm revising the poly books. In the old group, it was all content that wasn't in the five existing books.

    Masses and longer polyphonic motets are typically folios or in the binder. I'm in the middle of revising my polyphonic and hymn sets, but thought some people might be interested in the chant collections I have. Some of my choir members were able to really up the resolution of my scans so that the books are mostly quite sharp resolution at this point. Since my eyes are old and tired, I've opted for large-size chant - and most in my groups have found that to be helpful as well.

    Some people who are familiar with my books have requested them... from New Mexico to New York. I don't really want to be in the "book business" nor do I need compensation for my work in producing the books. If they are beneficial, I'm happy to share.

    If you'd like to purchase the books, IM me. I will put you in contact with the printer directly - depending on the book count, you can work out an equitable price with the printer (who has the most up-to-date version of the book). If you notice issues, let me know - eventually I will post the correction.

    Between chant and polyphony, the five books for my current group are around 1,400 pages. The three chant books are around 750 pages in total; the polyphony is the balance. (The hymn book I was working on was around 200 pages, and the binder of additional music was another 250 pages with Masses and miscellaneous music). Currently, the printer only has the 750 pages for the chant content.

    I include the abbreviated TOC for each of the three chant books here:
    Thanked by 5CHGiffen CCooze cesarfranck DPKmusic GregoryWeber
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    Sorry, should have commented on the patron saints of my choir(s).

    I had a very interesting director many years ago... she looked in Butler's lives of the saints and selected a saint that she felt most people would never have heard of to be the patron of the choir. (St. Bobo, in case you are interested). Her reasoning was that he would be so grateful to actually receive prayers that he would shower our choir with graces.

    She was (is) a wonderful lady. I thought it was a very interesting concept!!

    I tell my choirs that we have two purposes for our existence. We must increase the honor and glory of God through our participation in the Liturgy (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam) and we must strive to draw souls to Christ through the medium of our music (Da mihi animas, cetera tolle).

    For a variety of reasons, I feel that Philomena epitomizes the first goal and Dominic the second. It isn't a slight to Gregory or Cecila... but there is a reason why Philomena was the favorite saint of St. John Vianney and Pope St. Pius X... and Dominic adopted the motto of St. John Bosco to his everlasting glory. What can we not take away from the example of these two teenagers?

    Anyway, that is the reason why they are in the footer of the TOC for each book
    Thanked by 2DPKmusic GregoryWeber
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    There is always St Dunstan - that 'other' patron saint of music - the one who gets very short shrift and of whom almost no one thinks. Most people don't seem to know he exists. Perhaps he would fit into your category of saints who would be grateful to receive petitions. Dunstan was a tenth century bishop of Worcester, bishop of London, Archbishop of Canterbury, abbot of Glastonbury*, a scholar and lover of music.

    *Glastonbury was home to the famous Glastonbury thorn, which is said to have sprouted from St Joseph of Arimathea's staff when he visited the British Isles with the BVM sometime after the Resurrection. It is said to have produced blooms every year until it was uprooted by the horrid cromwellians, mindless regicides all.

    Meanwhile, back to patron saints for choirs - don't forget Dunstan.
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    There is always St Dunstan - that 'other' patron saint of music - the one who gets very short shrift and of whom almost no one thinks.


    Ahem! This is the name of the choir I 'founded' and direct, thank you very much! And you'd better believe that our first CD will be Dunstan Checks In!
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn Carol
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    Ahhh!
    You're very much welcome!
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    Cardy, there's another gentleman in Chicago who used to run the choir for St. Odilo who follows the same model that you do - not relying on a single book for your choir but choosing from the massive wealth of the rich liturgical tradition and finding what best suits each choir. What's interesting is that his isn't soft-cover; he actually went to the trouble of making it hard-bound, which I interpret in a manner as saying "This is the basic stuff. We're sticking with this before we learn anything else. And we expect this to be important enough to want to preserve this for an extended period of time."

    Not denigrating you, of course! It's interesting to compare the general philosophy of music anthologization. I love collecting these types of books - both for music suggestions, but also to get an idea of layout and general formatting.

    Needless to say, I'll do whatever is humanly necessary to obtain a copy of your volumes. Shout out, folks - Cardy's system of books are logically laid out, provide a nice variety, and plenty of erudite background information on each piece. Check them out.
    Thanked by 1Incardination
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    Chick - we'll put your picture on the front cover. A la Sgt. Pepper.
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,703
    From the Analecta Hymnica Vol. 43, pg 123. This is of course one of the many imitations of the Salve Festa Dies.

    Salve, sancta dies, celebri dignissima laude,
    Qua, Dunstane pater, caelica scandis ovans.

    Quem transitivae nactum primordia vitae
    Gratia caelestis imbuit, excoluit.

    Aeger divino medicamine consolidatus
    Cum tenui virga castra maligna fugas.

    Angelico ductu templi super ardua scandens
    Undiqne firmatum tendis in ecclesiam.

    Caelorum cives audis tibi coniubilantes
    Et pacem patriae discis adesse tuae.

    Vox sonat e superis, quae te de pace quietis
    Edredi regis edocet, exhilarat.

    Daemon in effigie vulpis contritus et ursi
    Subdolus insidias tendit ubique tibi.

    Per citharae cantum praenoscis, quid sit agendum,
    Unde repente locum deseris atque habitum.

    Spiritibus sanctis sociatus acumine mentis
    Kyrie eleison eos couiubilare probas.

    Ad templum noctu Domini genetricis euntem
    Obvia cure sociis excipit ipsa parens.

    Praecedunt binae versus modulaudo puellae,
    Dulcis amor Christi personat ore pio:

    Primus ad ima ruit magna de luce superbus,
    Sic homo, cum tumuit, primus ad ima ruit.

    Mox te spirituum sauctorum visitat ordo
    Teque suum vocitans suadit adire Deum.

    Iam vitae metas iuducit corporis aetas,
    Laetus et angelicis insereris cuneis,

    Conduntur terris artus et spiritus astris,
    Quo tibi pro meritis gloria perpes erit.

    Tam sacer antistes, Christi revereude coheres,
    Coniunctus superis auxiliare tuis.

    Quod parit in nobis terreni fervor amoris.
    Per te detergat castus amor, Domine.

    Sic quoque vivamus, ut Christo complaceamus,
    Qui nos aeterna muneret in patria

    Et faciat secum felices omne per aevum
    Vivere, quo luctus non erit aut gemitus.

    Quod pater et natus, quod nobis spiritus almus
    40. Conferat, ipse, quod est, semper ubique manens.

    Collect, ms. Cantuariense saec. 12. Cod. Coll. Corp. Christi Cantabrigen.
    371. -- Als Refrain nach jedem Distichon abwechselnd V. 1 und 2.-
    Abschrift von Rev. H. M. Bannister.
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,703
    If any devotee of St. Dunstan would like the above set to the melody, I will be happy to oblige.
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn StimsonInRehab
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    Oh, do oblige.
    I have noted that it sings fairly well with Vaughan Williams' Salva festa dies.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,933
    There is always St Dunstan - that 'other' patron saint of music - the one who gets very short shrift and of whom almost no one thinks.


    There are several patrons of music rarely noted. I particularly like St. Romanos the Melodist. A wiki excerpt: Saint Romanos the Melodist or the Hymnographer was one of the greatest of Syrio-Greek hymnographers, called "the Pindar of rhythmic poetry". He flourished during the sixth century, which is considered to be the "Golden Age" of Byzantine hymnography.
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    Yes tomjaw. Please!
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,703
    Sunday the 19th May is the Feast of St. Dunstan...

    Work in progress... have 4 more verses to set and will need to proofread. Will post the finished version tomorrow...
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn StimsonInRehab
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,703
    Here are all 19 verses, hopefully without error. We will sing this next Sunday,image
    Salve Festa St Dunstan.pdf
    68K
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn StimsonInRehab
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,703
    Bump
    For the Feast tomorrow... With the Rogations it is an excuse to have two processions!

    Happy Feast!
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