Sancte Michael
  • OMagnumMysterium
    Posts: 331
    I've composed a setting of the Saint Michael the Archangel prayer (Sancte Michael). Anyone who would like to use it is free to do so. I'd also be happy to get feedback so I can improve the piece. Rambling on my intentions below:

    I know there are several settings of this prayer already (four chant settings that I'm aware of), but none of them quite fit my bill; that is, I find none of them very practical for congregational singing (and I thought, it being such a nice prayer, why shouldn't we offer a setting for congregations to sing on days such as Michaelmas?). Of the chant settings, the one by Heiligenkreuz Abbey is my favorite, and would probably be the most practical (the others are more ornate - schola material you might say), but it still doesn't lend itself to memorization well, and is not quite what I was looking for. To be frank, I was wanting something metered, and none of the chant settings have a metered rationale behind them, seeing as they were all composed more recently in free-rhythm style. I wanted something that sings more like a metric hymn, although since the text is not metric, it can't be exactly a hymn. But what I'm generally going for is a simple and easy to sing melody, lots of repetition of material for ease of learning, something with good momentum and vitality, and a bit of word painting without being too over the top.
    Thanked by 6CHGiffen Roborgelmeister Richard Mix probe AgnusDei1989 Chant_Supremacist
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,268
    Beautiful, well-crafted, and very singable!
    Thanked by 2OMagnumMysterium Roborgelmeister
  • OMagnumMysterium
    Posts: 331
    Charles, thanks for the kind words!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • AgnusDei1989
    Posts: 50
    This has crusader chant written all over it. I LOVE it and, with your permission, would love to teach it to my boys who are singing our high Mass for Michaelmas. What perfect timing!! Thank you so much for this... I think the world needed it!
    Thanked by 1OMagnumMysterium
  • OMagnumMysterium
    Posts: 331
    Absolutely! I'm very happy for anyone to use it. It's always nice to hear my work being of use to someone. If you happen to get a recording from Mass or a rehearsal I'd love to hear it, but if not, no worries.

    I'm very glad this one came together when it did, and not months later, as sometimes happens when I have an idea! I bet it could also work nicely with an ison drone, 4-part harmony, or organ, but I wanted to just focus on a solid melody first.

    I've thrown a translation below the score, here's a pdf with that. A word by word interlinear translation would also be possible, because the Latin on this prayer reads quite easily, but I figured an interlinear translation would be more of a distraction than anything for most people. If there's anything else I can offer that would be helpful for your use, let me know.
    Sancte Michael.pdf
    38K
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,210
    When I do chant booklets I only ever print it as a block (if one day Gregorio advances I’d do them like in the 1957 Mass and Vespers book; but that requires Scribus for now). I find interlinear distracting (and in Gregorio tedious)
  • AgnusDei1989
    Posts: 50
    Thank you, that's great. I'll try to get a recording to pass along, either in music class or at Mass.
    Thanked by 1OMagnumMysterium
  • probe
    Posts: 62
    Thanks, John, I had started the original chant version and now see why it is harder. I must note to use your version next year.

    Thanked by 1OMagnumMysterium
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