STB Music - Holy Triduum
  • StPatrick
    Posts: 24
    Music for S or ATB - the choir members who can sing the Holy Triduum at my parish are three strong men, TBarB, and one strong Soprano. And two who can be altos but will have trouble learning anything too complicated or singing a cappella on their own (my strong alto will be out of town). We've got the foot washing antiphons covered because we did those last year (Thanks, James) but am looking for suggestions for Holy Thursday a cappella Communion hymns that would suit this kind of choir. And a version of Ubi Caritas. I know we could just sing the chants but wondering if you know anything STB-like or with a very simple alto part....

    On a related note, if we have done strictly no organ all through Lent (except a bit on Laetare), it would be appropriate to continue that for Holy Thursday, right? In the past we have sung Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus which would be easier for the altos because of the organ accompaniment, but I don't know if it makes sense to add organ suddenly on Holy Thursday. Thoughts?

  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,442
    I think the Ave Verum is not the right tone for Holy Thursday…
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 550
    Here we do Holy Thursday like a feast day as far as organ goes until the bells sound at the gloria-

    I do have a simple polyphonic of Ubi Caritas- I can scan it, but it would have to wait until Friday- as we have a lot to do for Saint Joseph preparations (one of our main Feast Days here).

  • Quaerens
    Posts: 35
    Richard Rice posted a lovely Ubi Caritas on this forum in 2016. SATB but the alto part has the traditional melody and could easily be given to one of the men, leaving all the women to sing the Soprano line.

    https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/uploads/FileUpload/c7/2653835f7122bba2a56cf2f9957c10.pdf

    I also recommend the Kodaly Pange lingua SAB. Again the Alto part could be given to a Tenor and it could still be reasonably successful, I think.

    Re organ on Holy Thursday, my 2 cents: Holy Thursday has the spirit of a great feast (institution of the Mass) and even has a Gloria in the TLM, during which bells are rung and the organ is played, to fall silent at its end until Easter Vigil. Even if you have not had organ all Lent, it seems to me appropriate to have organ until the end of the Gloria. But this does not help for the Mozart Ave verum, as it would likely be performed later in the liturgy.
  • davido
    Posts: 1,186
    Mozart Ave can work using just the vocal lines a cappella. Not sure what Mozart would think, but the harmonies work.
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,087
    Here are some reasonably doable pieces for ATB (scores attached or links to CPDL):

    Asola - Christus factus est (attached)
    Asola - O vos omnes (attached)
    Compere - O vos omnes
    Martini - In monte Oliveti
    Martini - Tristis est anima mea
    Ravanello - Crux fidelis (attached)
    Asola - Christus factus est - ATB.pdf
    44K
    Asola - O Vos Omnes - ATB.pdf
    92K
    Ravanello - Crux fidelis - ATB with chant - FOR PRINTING.pdf
    626K
  • GerardH
    Posts: 646
    I've heard a possibly-apocryphal tale that Mozart originally composed the Ave verum to be sung a capella, but that was deemed unpublishable, so he added instrumental accompaniment.

    I'm not sure how verifiable that is, since the autograph score is orchestrated.
    Thanked by 1davido
  • StPatrick
    Posts: 24
    Thanks all. Does anyone have a recording of the Richard Rice Ubi Caritas? I do not have the talent of being able to understand how something will sound in voices by plucking it out on my keyboard. It seems weird to me that the melody is in the middle and I'm curious to hear how it sounds.

    @rich_enough these are beautiful but all seem very Good Friday, right? I'm pretty new to this, it's only my second year being Catholic.
  • davido
    Posts: 1,186
    For Thursday, do something Eucharist themed like Casciolini Panis Angelicus, or Lambilotte Panis Angelicus (with tenor omitted). There are some three part Ave verum s out there too. O Sacrum convivium of Remondi
  • dannyboi0513
    Posts: 42
    @davido can't do O Sacrum Convivium since there is alleluia in it. But I agree that some Ave Verum is appropriate
    Thanked by 1davido
  • DominicanCantor
    Posts: 17
    Consider messing around with the three part Adoro Te, O Panis by Peter Piel which you can find on CPDL. You might be able to put the soprano on the solo part and the men on the soprano alto bass parts in some arrangement and find yourself creating a really unusual and beautiful texture.
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 99
    The "Ubi caritas" from Taizé can be sung with good effect with only the STB parts. Note that it is in the same key as the (Gregorian?) chant melody, so you can combine it with the stanzas given in the Graduale Romanum.
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 550
    Okay here is that Ubi Caritas I mentioned- its Miserachs.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD8NEN9CnEY
    Ubi Caritas Miserachs.pdf
    245K
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 550
    Here is Pange Lingua Kodaly mentioned above by another user- I also would second that suggestion- very beautiful.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLXWa2ZR-Kw
    Pange Lingua Koldaly .pdf
    243K
  • monasteryliturgistmonasteryliturgist
    Posts: 550
    A final suggestion- Adoro te Devote Bianchi
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mquAaXvBskU
    Adoro te Devoto Bianchi.pdf
    420K
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