New chant tunes - O God of Loveliness & O Bread of Heaven
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 360
    Two new tunes, inspired by office hymns, to some St. Alphonsus Liguori texts. There are existing musical settings, but in a very different style. I don't plan to compete with those beloved settings, bur rather hope to give new options to directors who are looking for music in a Gregorian style. I will put them into chant notation soon and clean up these files.

    Not all verses are included from O Bread of Heaven in this particular file - I was writing for a particular occasion and didn't need more.

    You'll notice some definite melodic similarities between both; I wrote them within a couple hours of each other.

    Does anyone know if there is a Latin version of these texts? The original is Italian, I believe.
    Thanked by 5Alli CHGiffen oldhymns DCM M. Jackson Osborn
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 3,180
    These are both very lovely tunes. Almost haunting. I love them both.

    FWIW- On O God of Loveliness I hear “long, long” for the last two notes.
  • AbbysmumAbbysmum
    Posts: 105
    I especially like the O Bread of Heaven. Well done!
  • DCM
    Posts: 86
    Why is "heaven" sung as "heav'n" when it's given two notes? I've only seen it written as heav'n when it's meant to be sung on a single note.
  • GerardH
    Posts: 620
    @DCM the meter of the text requires that it be only one syllable, regardless of the number of notes.
    Thanked by 2DCM ServiamScores
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 360
    Thank you for the responses! Attached are the pieces in chant notation.
    Taylor - O Bread of Heaven chant notation.pdf
    30K
    Taylor - O God of Loveliness chant notation.pdf
    22K
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • AgnusDei1989
    Posts: 50
    The originals are Italian, yes. These translations are both by Fr Caswall, I think (anyone know for sure?) I love your chant settings!
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,627
    Fr. Edmund Vaughan, C.SS.R. seems to be the translator for both, the originals of which were by St. Alphonsus Liguori.
    Though in this book - Hymns and Verses on Spiritual Subjects: Being the Sacred Poetry of S. Alphonso Maria Liguori, Translated from the Italian and Edited by Robert A. Coffin (London: Burns and Lambert, 1863) O Bread of Heaven is claimed by Robert Aston Coffin, C.SS.R.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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