Organ Accompaniment for Missa De Angelis
  • Making a big switch over to singing Mass VIII at my church soon. The choir and congregation will know it well, I only have to find good accompaniment for the organist. I know there are a number of options on CCWatershed, but I don't have time to look through them all. Can anyone make a recommendation? Or maybe describe these accompaniments, or ones that you have done yourself?
    Much thanks.
  • AdjpAnderson13,

    I haven't written down what I play, but I play it predictably nearly every time I play it, which is as infrequently as I can get away with. In our parish, the Ordinary is always accompanied (except when we're singing a polyphonic setting, or when Organ is forbidden), but we use Mass VIII only on special occasions.
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,295
    I've used the accompaniment from the St. Michael Hymnal 4th Edition with success. I don't have it in front of me, but I believe it's by Fr. Rossini and it's not particularly challenging.
  • Irishtenor - it is, and it's not.
    Thanked by 1francis
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,295
    You're a man of few words, Stimson ;-)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    If you would like to try there are the modal accomps of the NOH, otherwise, there is the usual Liber Cantualis Comitante Organo

    I am attaching my printable version of the NOH here with my edits of the dotted punctum in place.
  • I went through all of them a few years ago (listed on CCW's site) and settled on Sister Euphemia M. Bank's setting—which I still use. It's quite lovely.

    http://www.ccwatershed.org/media/pdfs/10/10/10/20-41-33_0.pdf
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen rich_enough
  • In Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Canticles, one can find Theodore Marier's accompaniment to the Gloria from Missa VIII. It was his gift to create a harmony that reflects the words and keeps the momentum of the music moving forward.
    Thanked by 1rich_enough
  • CGM
    Posts: 683
    There's also this nice setting by Feliks Rączkowski, from the Msze Gregorianskie, published by the Instytut Wydawniczy Pax (Warsaw, 1957).
    Thanked by 1rich_enough
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,388
    I've always favored Achille Bragers' accompaniment:

    http://www.ccwatershed.org/media/pdfs/10/10/10/20-36-27_0.pdf
  • Cantus67Cantus67
    Posts: 207
    Has anyone considered Maestro Torsell's videos on accompanying the Kyriales?
    https://youtu.be/oWdLHXX427Q
    Thanked by 132ContraBombarde
  • Thanks for the shout-out there, Rick.

    When accompanying from square notes, I don't usually write any chords in to leave me with tons of flexibility to accompany according to the ability and range of the singers, the occasion, the instrument, etc. But in case anyone finds it of value, I just wrote in some chords for Kyriale VIII that I might use. Exact chord voicings and voice leading will depend on your circumstances. Remembering that chant is a primarily vocal music, keeping the accompaniment simple and focused on supporting the voices is generally a good practice.
  • Remembering that chant is a primarily vocal music, keeping the accompaniment simple and focused on supporting the voices is generally a good practice.


    From your lips to the organist's ear. :)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    the organ should not 'drive' the worship, but should be subsurviant... i like to use a principal or flute 8' alone and truly 'accompany' the chanter(s), following closely their rubato. even when i am the 'director', i always have my ear to the tempi set by the singers... words dictate the music.
  • the organ should not 'drive' the worship, but should be subsurviant... i like to use a principal or flute 8' alone and truly 'accompany' the chanter(s), following closely their rubato. even when i am the 'director', i always have my ear to the tempi set by the singers... words dictate the music.


    Yep. There are plenty of moments when the organ can sing and worship on its own merits, But accompanying chant is not that time. When accompanying the schola, I tend to select an 8' flute and an 8' string to create a "cushion" for them to sing over. When the congregation is also singing, then I add a bit more bite, often with the addition of an 8' principal and a 4' flute.
  • This is my own transcript (produced in MuseScore).
    The transcription is the same of the Solesmes. The chords are based on the harmonization of the NOH.
  • keeping the accompaniment simple and focused on supporting the voices

    can include doubling the voices, especially when those voices are unsure of themselves.

    I sometimes wonder if having the organ sing its own part is a good thing. I know (for example) that rosaries accompanied by music are harder to pray, precisely because of the music, but I also (on the other hand) that mere blocking chords reminds me of a guitar.