Rorate Mass
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 353
    We are doing one for the 1st time this year, ordinariate missal.
    Propers are Rorate, Tollite OR Benedicta et venerabilis, Ave Maria, Ecce Virgo.

    Help me plan this. What are your favorite motets and anthems and mass settings? I have very skilled cantors, skilled chanters, sop/alto/bar/bar/bar. Highest baritone can sing F/G but will fatigue if up there for extended time.

    Latin or English.
    Would like to include at least some english/anglican as that is our patrimony
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 887
    Keep in mind when deciding on music these Masses are typically early in the morning and people’s voices are deeper in the morning. Your highest baritone’s range at that hour may be closer to that of a bass.

    Also, candles + sheet music = fire.
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen novusgordo Liam Patricia Cecilia
  • rvisser
    Posts: 101
    I always use the J. Michael Thompson setting of Rorate Caeli, for SATB choir. I typically sing the refrain in Latin and the verses in English.
    Thanked by 1liampmcdonough
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 413
    Lo How a Rose + the Vulpius Canon.

    Hassler - Dixit Maria. Tenor line only hits F for short moments.

    Guerrero - Alma Redemptoris a4. Editions available in D, which has an alto down to their F#, but the tenor line doesn't go above E.

    Anonymous medieval - There is no rose of such virtue https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Ther_is_no_rose_of_swych_virtu_(Anonymous)

    Tim Porter - There is no rose (a lovely, simple little SAB piece) https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/There_is_no_rose_of_such_virtue_(Tim_Porter)

    Thanked by 2liampmcdonough Patricia Cecilia
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 189
    Here is an SATB setting of the "Rorate caeli" refrain that adds another layer (Renaissance counterpoint) of period composing to the 17th century Gregorian chant imitation. And here is a recording thereof that adds yet another layer in the verses (early Baroque monody).
    Thanked by 1liampmcdonough
  • DL
    Posts: 94
    I’d do the Parsons Ave Maria if your higher Bar can handle the tenor line.
    Thanked by 3tomjaw MatthewRoth Patricia Cecilia
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,877
    It's so fun.
  • probe
    Posts: 289
    Xopheros, may I check on a pronunciation please?
    Where is the stress in 'memineris'? I thought it was on 'mi' (mee) but there I hear it on 'ne' (neh).
    mɛminɛɾis

    Collatinus offers mĕmĭnĕrĭs (mĕmĭnĕrī̆s mĕmĭnērĭs)
    Thanked by 1Xopheros
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 353
    Is the Advent Prose traditionally associated with these Masses? I had thought about the Byrd settings of Ne irascaris/Civitas Sancti as well.

    The Dalitz setting is beautiful!
    Would love to do Parsons, but don't have 6 parts.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,877
    You can do the prose. I like it at communion since we get hardly any congregational singing and only have the schola.
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 189
    With respect to @probe's question about "memineris":

    Thanks for listening to the recording so diligently. I think you are right that it should be stressed on the third last syllable and not on the penultimate. According to a Latin grammar explanation I just looked up, the combination of subjunctive perfect active (a grammatical form that is in Latin exactly identically to the much rarer future II) with "ne" switches it from a subjunctive to a "prohibitive" (a negative imperative). This seems to be meant in this context: "Do not do this any longer!". And, according to that source, the penultimate syllable of the subjunctive perfect active is always short and thus the stress moves to the preceding syllable.

    Unfortunately, my favorite recording of this chant lacks the first stanza, so we can not check how the soloist monk at that abbey sang it. Note that this recording is exceptional and very moving due to the old-fashioned singing style no longer heard today: slow and with portamento.
    Thanked by 1probe
  • probe
    Posts: 289
    Thanks Xopheros. I had initially learnt it from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji8dIcdoK5Y This recording also has the stress where the accent is marked in the text, on mí: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f06qdhO_sEY

    Not from any Latin grammar, it's been (many) decades since I did that at school! Fortunately my wife who once taught Latin and also speaks Italian is able to help.

    The different stress stood out only because I have just learned it so it is current in my mind. We might sing verse 1 on the first Sunday of Advent and verse 2 on the second. I'd love to do yours and other arrangements but at the moment we're still learning unison chant. Maybe next year we could try 2-part a cappella.

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