(Speculative) Music for Mass during time of blizzard?
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    My home town is digging out from (according to CNN) 6 feet of snow.
    Two persons interviewed by CNN hadn't read the script, and proclaimed this "not too bad, actually", or "normal for Buffalo", or something similar

    I know there's a (serious) set of Propers for Mass in time of plague (etc) but what might Propers for Mass in time of a blizzard be?

    PLEASE NOTE: while thoughtful answers will not be shunned, and, indeed could be positively welcomed, anyone who wants to comment on how awful the snow is in Buffalo is, and how we musicians should be taking it more seriously should, instead, comment somewhere else.


    In case you can't tell, I miss my home town's snow about now!
  • rollingrj
    Posts: 344
    Is there a set of Propers which is weather-related?
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 539
    There’s one of the Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, #37: For an End to Storms.

  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 392
    I can’t speak to the current Roman Missal, but the 1962 missal has various collects and prayers for certain occasions that can be added to votive Mass. There are also various votive Masses for certain intercessions.

    As for specific Mass propers, that’s something else. There is a Mass for Our Lady of the Snow. There’s also Our Lady of the Cape from whence Catholics in Quebec were trying to build a church but couldn’t get the supplies needed because of the river. Through Mary’s intercession, the river froze over so that supplies could be brought over the river.
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,942
    Then you can imagine the music in this place in Lackawanna:

    (link to 360 degree PanoSphere of Our Lady of Victory Basilica):

    https://tinyurl.com/afubhyw8
    Thanked by 3ServiamScores Chris Garton-Zavesky Steve Q
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 986
    The Sunday after Easter a few years back in MN, we had a big blizzard. I had stayed the night at the church to make sure that I would be there the next morning.

    Much of the choir couldn’t show up, but a whole retreat group that had been staying at the retreat center on the lake were stuck, mostly high school age girls. They showed up early for the principal Mass, about 20-30 of them, and were available and able to help sing, thanks to the fact that I had a good relationship with the Schoenstatt sisters who ran the retreat center, who are vey musical.

    So, even though the church was just about a quarter full, we had by far the largest choir of the season.
    Thanked by 6DavidOLGC tomjaw CHGiffen ServiamScores Chris Garton-Zavesky Jeffrey Quick
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    Thanks, Liam, for posting the link to the 360-degree view of the Basilica of OL of Victory in Lackawanna. I love that building and drop in whenever I'm passing through the area.
    Thanked by 3Chris Garton-Zavesky ServiamScores Steve Q
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,721
    It is positively stunning. I'd LOVE to be at a parish like that.
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 986
    .
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    composed this for you...
    Screen Shot 2022-12-08 at 4.40.46 PM.png
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    Thanked by 3Chris Garton-Zavesky tomjaw ServiamScores
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    in case you like the Solesmes Method
    Screen Shot 2022-12-08 at 4.47.11 PM.png
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    Thanked by 2Chris Garton-Zavesky tomjaw
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Mocquereau, Cardine ?
    Thanked by 1francis
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    o right... sorry... forgot climacus :)
    Screen Shot 2022-12-08 at 4.56.24 PM.png
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    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Who says chromatic music is a 20th century invention?

    On a side note, years ago (when I was a chorister) we were singing John Ireland's sublime setting of the text "Many waters cannot quench love" as the torrential rainstorm outside found a loose board and dribbled in.
    Thanked by 2francis ServiamScores
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    I am chrazy for chromaticism as a chomposer
    Thanked by 2Chris Garton-Zavesky Carol
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,721
    I find myself really wanting to compose with parallels. Music school was so adamant about how bad they were, and yet I hear all sorts of parallels in my head, and I love to improvise with them (fourths, in particular, as well as full sequences of parallel chords).
  • Carol
    Posts: 849
    When we were kids we used to call that parallel fourth sound "Ben Hur" music. Then we got some book learning.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,045
    "Power chords", Carol. Get with the times!
    Thanked by 1Carol
  • Steve QSteve Q
    Posts: 119
    I love that building and drop in whenever I'm passing through the area.

    Chonak - If you ever have occasion to pass through my hometown of Buffalo again (hopefully in July and not any time from November thru March if you can help it), drop me a line and perhaps we can visit OLV Basilica by way of "Flying Bison" (a local craft brewery).
    The same invitation goes to all on this forum!
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen tomjaw
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    One of the most stunning chromatic comps and stunning perf.

    https://youtu.be/iBVkYGLEUpg
    Thanked by 1sdtalley3
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Perhaps Hiems transiit? as an Offertory?
    Thanked by 2veromary Steve Q
  • Steve QSteve Q
    Posts: 119
    I am sure you all heard about the latest blizzard to hit the Buffalo area. Although we only got about 3 feet of snow this time, it was accompanied by unrelenting hurricane force winds and single-digit temperatures. Unfortunately, it hit us on December 23 and continued through Christmas day. Churches in our area were not able to have mass except via livestream. We were one of the fortunate ones who did not lose power during the storm, so we were able to keep warm and watch Christmas Masses on TV. It may have been the first time I have missed Christmas Midnight Mass since my early childhood (that's a lot of years!). My Schola also had to cancel our Christmas concert.

    That's a lot of music left unsung...but our minds and hearts are with those who lost loved ones in this terrible storm.

    I will refer my pastor to the proper from Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, #37: For an End to Storms. If/when we get hit with another storm, we'll consider using that Kyrie from Koerber's "Missa Blizzard". Heh - It reminds me of the snowdrift in my driveway.

    Chris Garton-Zavesky - You should be glad to have missed this one! At least we can look forward to New Year's Eve temps in the 50's with rain. Crazy!
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Steve

    Can you have your choir record and post it here so that it can be both sung and heard?
  • Steve QSteve Q
    Posts: 119
    Francis - Thanks for asking. Here is a piece from a Lessons & Carols Service we performed the night before the blizzard hit. When we sang this "Rorate Caeli", we didn't realize that the heavens were about to pour down 3 feet of snow....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jlPT7Wz3wk
    Thanked by 1francis
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Steve,

    Thank you for an unvarnished view of things. The national news media are, to put it mildly, sure that every event of severe weather is the fault of man-made climate change, and probably the fault of the Republicans.

    I'm not in Buffalo any more, but I miss the town, with all its quirks and its seasons. The natives of the area are a hardy bunch.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,150
    I found it interesting that just above the previous post was this:
    Here's a routine reminder: Be principled not polemical.
    The post itself struck me as a varnished, disingenuous view of things vis-a-vis the national news media.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Charles,

    My screen doesn't show any routine reminder (except in your post), anywhere in this thread. I wonder how that has come to pass. I do see the reminder, now, back on December 8th. Maybe the Admin can again shed some light on how often those reminders are posted?

    As to being polemical, most journalists are quite forthright in their defense of what they think their job is. They're there to present the news. Once upon a time (I've heard this on the radio, straight from the mouth of a presenter) even-handedness was taught in journalism schools, but now they're becoming more and more advocates.

    I don't mean to be polemical, and I'm not a member -- nor have I ever been a member--- of the political party the media like to blame. Their descriptions of these storms (6 feet of snow in the last batch) as "unprecedented" is, simply, untrue. Buffalo, in my lifetime (not so long as all that) has endured large, punishing storms often enough that the city has a reputation for them.

    ANYWAY....

    Here's another text, probably part of a Tract, for my original scenario:

    "Dominus autem misit ventum magnum in mari et facta est tempestas magna in mari " (from the book of the prophet Jonah).
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