You could prepare the Gradual for the forthcoming Sunday in a motet form as set by the always amazing William Byrd!
4 Replies to “For really advanced choirs”
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Catholic musicians gathered to blog about liturgy and life
Catholic musicians gathered to blog about liturgy and life
You could not find a better recording?
I liked the recording. It gives something of an idea what a really advanced parish choir — not the Tallis Scholars — might sound like attempting something like this.
It's very well done, and by high-school aged kids, in New Zealand, a country that has been very hostile to the Extraordinary Form and the New Liturgical Movement. Top marks for these young voices.
Ah, the word "motet" again. We should be clear in terminology. Byrd's Gradualia a not really motets. Rather they are polyphonic settings of the Propers. A motet, if one wishes to be precise, is an extra-liturgical work on a text chosen by the composer. It may be a liturgical text, but it may also be a devotional poem or a centonization of texts. It's purpose, however, is as an addition to the liturgy (when used within those confines). After the Council of Trent one sees a marked shift towards using motets at Mass that brought texts from the Office into it. It was a wonderful way to connect both prayers, even if motets sometimes replaced propers or even parts of the ordinary (e.g., replacing the Benedictus with a motet).