Seeking "Stabat Mater" hymn descant
  • Claire H
    Posts: 368
    I am interested to find a descant option for the familiar hymn tune of "Stabat Mater", if anyone has one you are willing to share. It needs to work with the SATB harmonization from Brebeuf Hymnal. Thanks in advance!
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    I don't have one, but I might try to write one. How urgently?

  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,724
    (Seems a slightly odd choice, if I’m honest, to try and adorn this hymn, considering the typical context in which it is sung.)
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • MaestroMark32MaestroMark32
    Posts: 66
    I used to do some creative organum with my men's choir at St. John. I'll tell you about it after the Mass at Mount Claret today. See you soon! :)
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,151
    The Brebeuf hymnal English translation - and hence the musical execution - of Stabat Mater is, quite unfortunately, in 887 trochaic meter, whereas Stabat Mater (in Latin) and the more traditional translation ("At the cross her station keeping") is in 887 iambic meter. The ccwatershed recording of the trochaic translation sounds just wrong (think "cute") to me.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • Dixit_Dominus_44
    Posts: 181
    CHGiffen wrote:

    The Brebeuf hymnal English translation - and hence the musical execution - of Stabat Mater is, quite unfortunately, in 887 trochaic meter, whereas Stabat Mater (in Latin) and the more traditional translation ("At the cross her station keeping") is in 887 iambic meter. The ccwatershed recording of the trochaic translation sounds just wrong (think "cute") to me.


    Can you explain what you mean? You seem to be confused about trochaic vs. iambic hymn meters.

    This is the Brebeuf translation, found on page 480 of the pew book:

    1. At the cross her station keeping,
    Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
    Close to Jesus to the last.

    2. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
    All His bitter anguish bearing,
    Now at length the sword had pass’d.

    3. Oh, how sad, how heavy laden,
    Was that meek and blessèd Maiden,
    God’s true Mother undefiled.

    4. Deep the well of her affliction
    When she saw the Crucifixion
    Of her well belovèd Son.

    5. What man is there so unfeeling,
    Who, his heart to pity steeling,
    Could behold that sight unmoved?

    ETC.



    (the full Latin text is also provided, for those lucky souls allowed to sing it)
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,151
    Not having the Brebeuf hymnal at hand, I searched online and found two ccwatershed videos which say that it is #468 from the hymnal, and the translation is clearly iambic (short-long stress) instead of trochaic (long-short) for the 8 syllable lines. These Vimeo and YouTube videos (apparently from the same source recording) are what I found displeasing:

    https://vimeo.com/808184360

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az2xyclyvjE

    The translation runs:

    The Mother stood in woeful wise
    beside the Cross, with weeping eyes,
      while her Son there hangéd was;
    whose doleful soul, so sore distressed,
    with heavy sighs and sobs oppress'd,
      quite throughout a sword did pass.
    etc.

    Are there two different settings (#480 being what seems to be in the pew book)?
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • Claire H
    Posts: 368
    Thanks for the input. I just went and double checked our score, and I was mistaken about it being Brebeuf. It's the Caswall translation harmonized by Randall DeBruyn (OCP). @Chris, if you decide to write something I'd be interested to see it this week. :)
  • Dixit_Dominus_44
    Posts: 181
    For all the monuments of the Catholic faith (Pange Lingua, Sancti Venite, etc) the Brebeuf pew book contains multiple 'singable' translations, as well as a literal translation. The Stabat mater is no exception. I'm not aware of any other literal translations available for the Stabat except the rather lengthy one found on page 476 of the Brebeuf pew hymnal. (Doesn't mean there aren't any, I just don't know of them.) In the world of academia we were taught: “only cite books you can touch.” That means one either owns the book, or one has borrowed it from a library. Following this rule can help avoid embarrassing errors. I would suggest this academic protocol be 'extended' to those who would comment on musical books, although I realize this is a MUSIC forum. Or, perhaps it's better to keep silence unless one can reference what somebody is asking about. Just my 2 cents.
  • davido
    Posts: 874
    Here is a fauxbourdon for alternate verses. Not a descant unfortunately, but something different.
    At the cross STABAT MATER.pdf
    836K
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • davido
    Posts: 874
    A 3-voice fauxbourdon
    At_the_Cross_Her_Station_Keeping.pdf
    125K
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen sdtalley3
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