Lapis Revolutus Est (+new FREE canon on theme)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Instead of programming a hymn, use this during the Easter season. We are doing it with the guitar ensemble!
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Here's a version with guitar chords... (reverse musical psychology)
  • Chris AllenChris Allen
    Posts: 150
    The chant version looks good, but which line is the do clef supposed to be on? The first staff has the clef on the second line, then it switches between the first and second lines on the remaining staffs....
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    So sorry

    you did the proofing on this one. No one even noticed at rehearsal tonight.

    Will change it tomorrow. The first line is correct.
  • Interesting and bold to unveil this version, Francis. I think the positive aspect lies in demonstrating that discerning and discriminating guitarists can indeed provide a worthy, underlying accompaniment to a very competent schola chanting. What I notice in the arrangement, though, calls into question the couching of the melody to tonality versus modality, and also to what amount of choral variety and inversions are necessary. This is certainly "ear of the beholder" stuff.
    I have occasionally used guitar to accompany ADORO TE or IN PARADISUM, using D as the final. In your example, you seem to clearly use D Major tonality, with the exception of using a II (E) Major at the end of the intonation phrase and elsewhere. I might have used the minor v (Am) in its stead. Also, I tend to opt for an open tonic chord without a third whenever possible, for when you do move diatonically to a IV or V (which I also try to keep 1-5 open if possible) so that the vocal line "mi" isn't overwhelmed by the triadic chord being strummed or arpeggiated, the richness of the third in the IV or V contrasts well. And the D/F# (I first inversion) while the melody hovers around "mi" causes me to wonder if that is over-stressation of the pitch, which could distract from the vocal line. The I 6/4 is less obvious and leads to a transitory cadence on V.
    But, this is the kind of thinking that some of us may never have considered valid. So, I'm glad you're sharing your experience. Certainly Julian Bream is smiling somewhere.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Charles

    I sketched the chords in about 17 second as an afterthought. I usually improvise the chords and it's never the same twice, but I had the bass player to consider. Please send your version over. We will be interested to see it. And post it under this one.

    I think I can confidently say that a chant piece like this with a tonal quasi-baroque realization is a far better choice than most contemporary songs you will find out there for the folk group.

    And of course, the whole idea is to redirect the playing of the guitar toward something more appropriate to the liturgy. If I must play the guitar for this particular liturgy, then it is favorable to create crossover pieces that tend toward authentic liturgical music if you get my thinking.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Charles (continued)

    I dedicate this arrangement to Charles in CenCA who (as you can see above) has hinted to wanting a more authentic harmonization of the chant in keeping with the church mode.

    I am glad to see you are coming around to the antiquarian way of thinking, Charles! Congrats!

    This harmonization is translated from the organum according to Capella Gregoriana Easo.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    ...and for good 'measure'(s) :-0, I will throw in this Canon on the theme which can be performed on the organ (or three contemporary instruments in a contemporary music ensemble that plays only contemporary music! (ie, flute, guitar and bass guitar!). If you need to stretch it out, simply rotate through the parts tranposing to the correct octave. It all works. It's simply mathematical.

    It is composed in juxtaposition of P5 (P4) maintaining strict harmonization... a very modern treatment.

    hear the score

    download the score
  • Oh, Francis, you have no idea how eclectic I can be! Nicely done.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    O Charles! Yes I can. You have met your match! Send your arrangement. We want to play it!
  • Actually, Francis, I meant "eclectic" in terms of compositional modalities. And your catalogue far exceeds those products of my muse.
    And I've been suffering, literally, with the worst headcold I've had in decades this week, so I can't comply with your challenge.
    But I relish the idea of setting a proper or chanted hymn to my chordal vocab, and sharing it with you soon. Will do, absolutely. The "antiquarian" in me wants to somehow, though, set some ars nova like polyphony that utilizes classical guitar (lute) with the cross-relation thirds so bittersweetly set ala Tallis. I've heard ensembles like the Baltimore Consort do such, but never have encountered such used for liturgy.
    So, your setting of the "Lapis..." whetted my interest as to whether CMAA folk would give such endeavors a fair audition. I've had young cassocked priests come up to me after hearing a chant accompanied by a decent classical guitar arrangement, or my guitar transcriptions of the Mozart "Ave Verum" or Dubois "Adoramus te Christe," and exclaim "I didn't know you could do that on a guitar!" And that's theoretical kids' stuff, harmonically. I don't think our efforts with guitars, as such, are a pervasive solution to the transitions necessary for RotR. But as you say, they can prove a means to an end.
    You know what else would work with your ensemble? Try taking Richard's Simple Choral Gradual and do simple transcriptions of the homophony. Most of them work nicely when transposed via capo up a minor third. Then rolled chords like a Dowland piece. NIce.
  • This text combines all three antiphons used in the Office of Readings for today (3rd Easter Sunday ): Our choir clips through this well.
    I think if I were to accompany this I would use major 7ths, open tetra chords. sort of Gelineau or Van WIlliams.The seventh tone is begging for creativity- as a strong "tee" or even trasposed to "tay." I could hear a really good refreshing support for this.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Good idea Charles. I will have to look up RRs works. I can't stand playing Now Is The Time To Worship and similar trash. We await something from you when you get a chance. Send over some of your RR transcriptions if you have them.
  • It occurs to me, as Richard occasionally posts, shouldn't we ask him (which I'm hereby doing) if he has any objections to chordal assignments to the SCG?
    I have a heavy work week, but I'll try and dash off at least one chant to you soon, Francis.
    Cheers.
    C
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    I am looking forward to your musics. I have some new hymns for guitar that lead the guitar world back to hymnody. I will post soon.
  • Francis,
    I may get flamed a bit for declaring this, but here goes:
    Capable guitarists ought to be able to:
    1. Not rely upon any publisher's "Guitar Accompaniment" edition, particularly when said publisher advises a keyboardist (who reads) to defer to the guitar version when paired.
    2. If they must use an accompaniment addition, it should be the Keyboard version, which publishers generally assign more faithful chord resolutions to the hymn in question. But the CAPABLE guitarist should be able to realize a faithful accompaniment from the keyboard score alone as the ideal.
    3. Tell when a hymn should not stylistically ever be accompanied by a guitar. Take for example a brief catalogue of Vaughn-Williams.
    a. Kingsfold and The Call melodies can beautifully be accompanied by guitar, even using different chord progressions than assigned by the keyboard arrangement.
    b. Sine Nomine and Salve festa dies cannot, in any way.
    4. Make distinctions, even if "on the fly" between single strum per chord (with proper bass note) versus arrpegiation in order to support the rhythmic consistency of congregational/choral singing.
    5. (of course) use proper inversions, more complex chordal clusters than maj/min/dim/aug., etc.
    6. Never accompany using a flatpick!
    I hope this isn't total anathema here at CMAA. But it does prove that Fr. Ruff should not be giving the guitar seminar at colloquium;-)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    I have never and never will purchase guitar editions. WLPs is a disaster. They set a chord to almost every quarter note.

    However, I disagree on that I feel I can arrange anything for guitar. I will attempt your two examples.

    I have developed a technique where I can move a flatpick into my palm and back so do both picking and strumming in the same piece.

    There is a guitar seminar? Ugh!
  • No, Francis, that was a jibe Fr. Ruff offered up at PT, pulling the collective leg of CMAA afficianados, particularly Jeffrey T.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    The idea is to eliminate guitar from liturgy... Unless it is a liturgy in an extremely small chapel and there is no organ. Then a guitar can work ok if in a pros hands.