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The arrival of the Alternative Service Book in 1980 made it necessary for new settings to be composed to accommodate the new texts. This setting, like many others, was written with congregational singing in mind, with a choir to support it were possible. Therefore the vocal lines lie mainly between B below middle C and D a ninth above it.
The music is almost entirely for unison voices, the only exception being a 10-bar section for SATB in the middle of the Gloria in Excelsis, though even this will work perfectly satisfactorily in unison should four-part harmony resources not be available.
More recently, with the advent of Common Worship, further textual changes have occurred including the addition of the seasonal acclamations which follow the Eucharistic Prayer, so once again it has become necessary for musical adjustment. Accordingly this setting has been edited and revised.
In order to accommodate a wider set of tastes, there are now two settings of the Sanctus, the first powerful and exultant; the second starting quietly but rising to a climax at "Heaven and Earth...." Both versions move easily into the following Benedictus.
Finally, should it be needed, a discarded setting of the Lord's Prayer has been retrieved from an earlier version of this work and adjusted to fit what now seems to be the preferred text of this prayer.
Fauré's Messe Basse is based heavily on a previous mass
setting he had written in collaboration with his pupil André
Messager in 1881, called Messe des Pêcheurs de Villerville
(Mass of the Villerville Fisherman), scored for ladies' voices &
chamber orchestra.
Fauré later removed his Gloria, and replaced Messager's
Kyrie with a new one of his own. He also removed Messager's O
Salutaris. The resulting piece was published under the title
Messe Basse in 1907.
Ben Costello has here adapted Messe Basse for SATB & organ,
making it available to a wider range of choirs & congregations.
This mass was composed for the choir and congregation of St Paul's Church in Chichester. The mass is suitable for Lent or Advent as it does not have a Gloria. The congregational singing range is comfortable and can be easily learnt, and the organ accompaniment is not taxing, and can be played on a piano or keyboard if necessary.
The piece was commissioned by the Mayfield Festival and first performed by the Mayfield Consort at The Andrew Benians Birthday Concert on May 5th 2010.
The ceaseless determination to prolong life by medical advances and
stave off the process of ageing has made death the final taboo ‒ an
insult rather than an inevitability. As a result, the loss of a loved
one comes as an appalling shock; the physical and emotional pain can
be overwhelming. These dark moments are explored and reflected upon
in Requiem Of Loss.
Requiem Of Loss is principally a choral work which takes the listener
on the journey from the first impact of losing someone, through the
many aspects of mourning, ending in one final, devastating realisation:
there is no option but to say goodbye.
The work is in nine movements, from the enraged Requiem Aeternam and
the masculine, rhythmic Kyrie Eleison to the feminine, ethereal Pie
Jesu, and the final reflection of O Lord Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant
Depart In Peace. The Libera Me is set as a duet â a conversation between
a man and a woman who have lost a child. This movement is dedicated to
all those who have suffered a similar loss.
The requiem is set to the traditional Latin texts used in the Catholic
funeral service with added verses from the Bible.
Requiem Of Loss was written for and premiered by Bristol Chamber Choir in 2008.
Optional Orchestration:
Flute
Oboe doubling cor anglais
Clarinet in B flat
Bassoon
Trumpet in B flat
Euphonium
Timpani
Harp
Organ
Violin
Violoncello
Mass From Verbena is a setting of the new translation of the Roman Missal for use in Roman Catholic churches
from Advent 2011. It is a simple but imaginative setting, not difficult to grasp but atmospheric and prayerful.
The accompaniment is for organ or piano and guitar, with optional melody instruments. The voices divide only rarely,
and when they do the divisions are optional. The priest will recognise most of his material from the Missal plainsong.
This is a photocopyable resource. You are encouraged to make as many copies as you like for your own use within
your church (or school etc), but you may not distribute copies outside your church. Copies are provided of the vocal
score, the congregation's score, the melody instruments in C and in Bb, and the guitar part, both assembled for use
and loose for ease of copying.
The Missa Sancti Asaph was written for the Choir of St Asaph Cathedral in North Wales. There are some more
reflective sections, which should be extremely expressive and well shaped, and some louder sections, which are to be
sung rhythmically, and with plenty of fire.
The organ plays just as important a part as the choir in colouring the text and, especially in the Gloria,
should be seen as a rival to the choir rather than taking a supportive role.
Samples are provided here of the Kyrie,
Gloria,
Sanctus and Benedictus and
Agnus Dei.
The Missa Brevis In D was inspired after hearing the Britten Missa Brevis for the first time. Shortly
afterwards, I became Master of the Choir at Bramdean School in Exeter and wrote this setting with the Boys' Choir at
the school in mind, although they only ever performed the Agnus Dei.
Twelve years later, in 2012, I decided to revise this work - most notably the Gloria - to be recorded by the Ely
Cathedral Girls' Choir. The first performance was given by a group of sopranos in St Asaph Cathedral in December 2012,
with Chris Strange at the organ and myself directing. The work is very simple in conception, with the two vocal lines
often imitating each other, and the organ backing up the voices, rather than playing a solo role as in many of my
compositions.
The Chester Service was written for, and inspired by, the Chester Cathedral Nave
Choir and the Cathedral's fine Whiteley/Hill organ after having spent a couple of
terms accompanying the choir. The entire work has a very French flavour with lots of
colourful organ writing, sometimes reminiscent of Pierre Cochereau (Tutti chamades),
also containing ethereal effects at the other end of the spectrum. The Chester
Cathedral organ has some French blood in it; originally the reeds were by
Cavaille-Coll, most of which were replaced, although the pedal reeds are by him and
despite having been revoiced, show signs of their original heritage.
As ever, the choral parts must be dynamic and expressive, and the organist shouldn't
be afraid to let go and exploit the full possibilities of the instrument. The Agnus
Dei, the most reflective of the movements, should be dream-like and timeless, making
the most of the acoustic it is being performed in.
Please note the Scorch playback of this piece has been muted. You can
listen to this sampled MP3 file instead.
The Requiem was originally scored for orchestra and chorus without organ. I was
initially reluctant to reduce the accompaniment for the organ as it does lose certain
colours which aren't possible to re-create with two hands and two feet, but having an
edition with organ accompaniment does make it easier to perform.
From the outset, I was determined that the work would be short enough to be used
liturgically and be appealing to the widest variety of people possible, but without
losing musical integrity. As a result, I have relied more on melody rather than
effect, but have coloured the text to make the overall work as dramatic as possible.
There are two versions of the Hostias, one for unaccompanied 8-part chorus
with solo soprano, and one for solo soprano only with organ or string accompaniment.
The harmonies
in this particular movement are tricky and having the alternative version will allow
less experienced choirs the possibility of using the work more successfully. The
8-part version should never be performed with organ.
The solo soprano part has quite a large role within the work. The soloist should
never sing with a huge amount of vibrato, but with a warm and colourful sound,
always displaying an aspect of purity.
The following live recordings were made at the premiere of the organ version of the work at the North Wales International Music Festival, given by the Sirenian Singers, conducted by Jean Stanley-Jones, and with Graham Eccles at the organ.
For the time being, the score displayed here is the vocal score, which contains the organ version of the accompaniment. The Scorch playback should not be used and has been muted. Instead, please use the MP3 samples of the orchestral version listed below:
It was St Kentigern who founded the original cathedral and monastery at St Asaph, having fled from Strathclyde due to a strong
anti-Christian uprising led by the king at the time. Better known as Mungo, Kentigern had stayed initially at St David's with Saint
David himself before settling at St Asaph.
Kentigern would often pray standing in the freezing cold river (The Elwy - hence St Asaph's Welsh name Llanelwy meaning
"consecrated land by the River Elwy") and it was through this activity that he noticed the actions of one of his
disciples, Asaph. Asaph had been commanded to bring a brand of burning wood to warm him while at prayer, but the thoughtful boy instead
wrapped burning coals in his apron. This miracle revealed to Kentigern the holiness of the boy, later to become the first Bishop of St
Asaph.
Missa Sancti Kentigerni is a celebratory piece, with some French influences - notably in the organ part - but also contains long,
shapely phrases in both the Kyrie and Benedictus to provide some moments of reflection. The Agnus Dei was written on Remembrance Sunday
2013 and is almost a cry for help, working up to a rather angry climax underpinned by repeated pedal notes. After all the anguish and
painful litanies for mercy, this subsides to a quiet final statement, with the organ finishing on flutes and strings still leaving a
sense of unease. The writing here also reflects the hardships of the saints at the time, the brutal discipline of prayer in the cruel
winter waters and the destruction of the cathedral twice in its history!
Careful note should be taken of the articulation and dynamic markings in performance; the staccato writing in the Gloria, in particular,
should come across as light and airy with no hint of heaviness whatsoever.
Please note the Scorch playback of this score has been muted. Use the
MP3 instead.
The Missa Brevis in G is suitable for general use, as well as more festal occasions. The material is derived from the simple incantation of the Gloria, which can heard at various points in the Gloria. This theme is hinted at in the Sanctus and Benedictus - both movements having a gentle sway, mirroring the sway of the thurible. The gentle Agnus Dei affords the chance for soloists or a small group to sing the first part and the remainder to join in the later sections. The harmony is clean and simple, with a few occasional deviations, is very approachable and memorable, and not overly complicated.
I was inspired to write this setting of the Mass for the choir and congregation
of St Paul's Church in Colwyn Bay after doing some work with their choir and
Director of Music. It is the tradition for the congregation to sing the
movements of the mass, with the choir occasionally adding harmony or descants
and so this setting follows this particular tradition.
This setting is intended to be as straightforward as possible for the average
congregation to pick up, with a slightly more exciting part for the organist. As
ever, registrations should be adapted to each different organ, but those
specified give an idea as to the desired effect.
The congregation supplied part can be copied (but not shared with another institution).
Missa pro defunctis was, in many ways, a natural follow-on from my first requiem. The first requiem had been written to be
usable within the liturgy, keeping movements short, and performable as a whole with orchestra or organ.
I felt that I wanted to create a more substantial work the second time around, incorporating plainsong (which influences a lot of my
improvisations at the organ) and setting the whole of the Dies Irae text.
The opening movement is based upon the Requiem aeternam plainsong, leading into a Kyrie which began life as part of
another commission. Originally written with organ accompaniment, the orchestration of the Kyrie proved to be one of the most
challenging bits of writing in the entire work.
The Dies Irae begins with very conventional harmonies, almost lulling the listener into the false sense of security that it
could be a late romantic work. As the movement progresses, the harmonies and orchestral effects become more and more outrageous,
painting quite a picture of terror in places. The organ is used for dramatic effect at Rex tremendae, underpinning brass
fanfares and rapid passage-work in the strings. This is probably the first of my works in which the organ plays a very subservient,
albeit vital, role. The movement is rounded off with a substantial setting of the Pie Jesu; it was my intention that this
could be performed as a separate anthem with organ accompaniment if so wished.
The Sanctus and Benedictus are very brief, but joyful, providing a stark contrast to the very chromatic Agnus
Dei which follows. The Agnus Dei was conceived as a real plea of mercy and is based upon a theme beginning with a dropping
7th throughout.
The final choral movement is the In Paradisum which is where the whole work began. This had been intended to be used in my
first requiem, but hadn't quite sat right with me initially and remained half-finished. It was playing the first part of this one
evening and having the inspiration to finish the movement off that triggered the writing of this second requiem.
Several people have asked the question "Why write two requiems?" The simple answer is inspiration; if I'm drawn to something and have
the urge to write, I generally don't stop until it's finished over a very intense few days. I love the text of the mass; the extra
parts of the requiem text add an extra bonus through being extremely vivid and conjuring up lots of images in my mind. I thrive
on being able to illustrate a text through the medium of music and hope that it brings an extra dimension of understanding to the
listener.
The solo soprano role throughout the work was conceived from two perspectives; one to add dramatic flair and the other to be very
reflective. To this end, the ideal is for a soprano with a very pure tone to sing the Pie Jesu and Benedictus solos,
and someone with a more Verdi-like sound to sing the rest.
The Missa pro defunctis finishes with a purely orchestral movement. Were this mass to be used liturgically, there is always
need for recessional music at the end of the service. With this in mind, I orchestrated the Adagio from my organ suite
Hommage à Paris, which provides a contemplative, but quite dramatic, conclusion to the whole.
I was commissioned by Tom Edwards to write a new communion service setting for the top line of girls in his choir. The opening motif in the Kyrie is found throughout the setting, giving it a more modal feel. To make it a flexible setting, it is possible for mens' voices to perform this, or indeed a full two-part setting with sopranos and tenors taking the top line, altos and basses taking the bottom line.
This communion service was composed to fulfil a request by Mr Ian Wells for such a work to use within the Trinity Arts Festival fortnight. The latter three movements have been used whilst the choir has been on summer tours to various cathedrals, including Peterborough and Gloucester.
This Missa Brevis is an exploration of theological meaning, and beauty. It references a range of historical musical languages, from a contemporary perspective, within an overarching approach to harmony and voice leading.
The St Woolos Service, a setting of the Latin mass, was commissioned in 2010 for the choir of St Woolos Cathedral, Newport, Gwent by their then Director of Music Christopher Barton.
The Kyrie introduces a triplet figure which is taken up by sopranos in the central Christe section, the opening music then returning to complete the movement. The Gloria begins con moto, followed by a quieter central section featuring the altos and basses. A reprise of the opening plainsong intonation leads into the final section that concludes with joyful amens. The Sanctus introduces an organ fanfare that periodically punctuates the forceful phrases of the choir, before all concludes quietly as the fanfare passes into the distance, as it were. A soprano solo, complemented by a solo oboe stop, begins and ends the Benedictus, wherein the choirâs osannas are thoughtful and muted. The Agnus Dei combines a number of hitherto-heard themes, moving up three keys before a coda, based on the now-familiar triplets, ends with a short soprano descant and quiet, high organ trills.
Tracks performed by Leicester Cathedral Chamber Choir, Christopher Ouvry-Johns, Simon Headley:
Kyrie
Gloria
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Missa Corona was written during the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020 for our choir to rehearse and perform, so a Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei written for a cappella' choir. Later in the year, I was asked to write a Gloria to complete the setting, and it was written with organ, and so the Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei were rewritten with an organ accompaniment.
The setting has a slightly modal feel, all four parts have interest and there is the scope for having sections for soloists or smaller groups, to contrast the full choir. I wrote it to appeal to not only the musicians involved but for the congregation as well, and indeed the soprano line of the Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei could be sung by a congregation.
This mass plays around with the relationship between consonance and disonance whilst maintaining a level of dialogue between the choir and the organ. There are sections that are very still and meditative, such as the Benedictus which begins with a solo voice, and there are also sections of passionate chromatisicm and loud false relations, particularly in the Gloria, which ends on a loud D major chord from the organ with the choir singing (in unison) an F natural before finally resolving downwards onto the tonic.
The Kyrie alternates between unaccompanied choral sections with slower, simpler moving harmonies and organ interludes that start to explore more chromatic harmony.
The Gloria is definitely the most adventurous movement of this mass, not only in terms of dissonance, but also with its interplay between simple and compound time signatures, dynamic contrasts and a climactic, unprepared #4-3 suspension with the Sopranos on a top A#.
The Sanctus has two main sections of tension and release. One is very early on in the piece where the organ explodes with full organ chords (albeit with simple harmony). Further on, after a period of build up from the choir where false relations are starting to be introduced again, the organ once again interrupts but this time with much more adventurous harmony, a 32' pedal reed and an accelerando to build tension before an eventual release with an unaccompanied, quiet "Hosanna in excelsis".
The Benedictus is much tamer in its exploration of harmony and begins with a simple solo voice whose melody is then augmented in the tenor part. It ends with an open fifth chord in the relative major with a short tertiary modulation beforehand.
The Agnus Dei is much more contemplative and follows the same layout as the Kyrie, with alternating choral and organ sections. The organ interludes alternate with 4/4 and 3/4 bars to give a gentle rhythmic lilt. There is a much more subdued climax towards the end from the organ before the choir and organ come together for a final, peaceful "dona nobis pacem" ending in the tonic major.
This mass setting was composed with several objectives in mind. Both the Kyrie and Agnus Dei should be relatively simple and non-intrusive to respect the parts of the service during which they are usually sung. The other objective was to ensure these two movements, together with the more uplifting Sanctus and Benedictus, shouldn't be too difficult for parish choirs used to singing mass settings by e.g. Darke and Wood, but not necessarily the Gloria.
It isn't uncommon for the Agnus Dei to be sung prior to the communion anthem when members of the congregation are receiving Holy Communion, so a gentle and quiet approach has been adopted for this movement.
The Gloria has a wide dynamic range. It begins in a loud and triumphant manner before settling into a quieter and more reflective mood, dictated by the text. The energy builds again towards the end.
The setting is mostly SATB with a little upper voice divisi. A couple of soprano soloists or a smaller group of singers can be used for a few bars of Agnus Dei.
The mass has been sung on a number of occasions in Wells Cathedral by the Chamber Choir to whom it was dedicated in 2017.
There is nothing more exciting, more atmospheric, than attending a communion service with a full choral setting. This service, at the very heart of Christian worship, is not only beautiful as it stands but can have the understanding of the words considerably enhanced by music. I have made my setting as accessible as possible for both choir and organist but, at the same time, musically satisfying. It allows the singers to shine, sectionally, as a full choir, occasionally with parts divisi, accompanied or a cappella together with some sections for soloists. There are also opportunities for the organ to add to the atmosphere of the individual sections of the service.
The Kyrie is a gentle, reflective, homophonic, diatonic start to the morning. In contrast, the Credo is strong and forthright, reflecting the firm conviction that Christians should have in their belief. Through a variety of textures, solo line, contrapuntal work and the organ accompaniment the meaning of the words is conveyed. Discordant piercing reflects "crucified" with the word tumbling through the parts. After the pianissimo and deep voiced "buried" there is a triumphant and exuberant organ fanfare announcing "And the third day". Unison writing reinforces some of the words central to the Creed. An enharmonic change takes us into "He shall come again with Glory" followed by a solo SATB, "And I believe in the Holy Ghost". The section finishes with a climax "and the life of the world to come" and a pianissimo, reflective "Amen".
There is a brief Sursum Corda, then the Sanctus, reminiscent in rhythmic feel to the Sanctus from Bach's B Minor Mass. There is an interplay between SA and TB on the word "Holy", a joyous "Heav'n and earth are full of thy glory" and a gentle play-out at the end. The Benedictus begins as the Sanctus - interplay between SA and TB - but ends with a solo quartet and, again, a gentle play-out.
A solo soprano begins the Agnus Dei, and the mood is sombre and reflective with a peaceful ending.
The Gloria is, again, strong and forthright with a confident opening. "We praise thee" is interspersed with organ flourishes and a choral flourish on "glorify thee". The opening organ phrase is repeated, but in the minor - "O Lord the only begotten Son" - with the theme passed between SA and TB. Counterpoint is now used as a contrasting texture ending with unison "thou that takest away". The opening organ phrase is used again, this time in C major leading to a subdued "have mercy on us" but rising to a climax at "art most high" and "to the glory of God the Father". The opening organ theme recurs with the Amen with choir and organ giving their all at the end.
I write for the enjoyment of choir and organist, for the uplifting of the congregation's spirits but, primarily, to the glory of God. Raise your voices and your souls but, above all, enjoy.
This setting of the commonly sung parts of the Common Worship Order One Holy Communion service was written at the request of Andrew Kirk for the lower voices of his choir at St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol. The brief was to provide a fairly straightforward unaccompanied setting that could be learnt without too much difficulty, but providing some interest in the part writing.
A motif, the first four notes of the Kyrie, and its inversion provide a link between the different movements.
Around ten years ago, the Very Revd Nigel Williams, who is Dean of St Asaph, spoke to me about creating a mass setting that could be sung by choir alone, congregation alone or choir and congregation without the effectiveness of the work being lost in any of the different versions. This wasn't a challenge that settled easily with me and I spent a great deal of time thinking about how best to execute this with several failed attempts that turned into other works.
At Blackburn Cathedral, the cathedral's Youth Choir leads the music at the 9am Parish Eucharist each Sunday during term time, at which a congregational setting is sung, except on feast days when a full choral setting is used. The congregation at this service appreciate the work of the choir greatly but also relish the accessibility of the comparative simplicity offered at this service both liturgically and musically. I felt inspired to write this setting for our Youth Choir and parish congregation in order to provide much which was outlined in the initial brief suggested by the Dean of St Asaph, but to also make good use of our iconic organ and to give our excellent singers something to really get their teeth into.
The Gloria may be sung by cantor and congregation (with the congregation only singing the response) if singing the whole movement might prove too challenging for a congregation. The organ part generally supports the congregation whilst adding weight and excitement for occasions when the mass is sung by choir alone or with choir and congregation.
Full scores are available for the choir, and the photocopy licence allows unlimited copies of the provided congregation parts.
The Short Jazz Mass was written for John Robinson and the Choir of Blackburn Cathedral. The treble line of Blackburn Cathedral Choir is one of the most colourful, versatile and enthusiastic groups I have been fortunate to work with and I wanted to write something that they'd not only enjoy singing, but would claim as their own. The first time I rehearsed the glissando in the Gloria with them, the look of enjoyment on their faces was the best reward I could have asked for.
At the cathedral, we firmly believe that enjoyment and engagement through singing is of utmost importance; each person discovering their own voice is part of a very special journey and I hope that this mass setting expresses this in a small way.This congregational mass setting was requested in 1991 for St David's Metropolitan Cathedral, Cardiff. It is unison throughout, with occasional alternatives for choir singers, and sets the sections of the mass that are generally sung at Eucharist services. It is designed to be tuneful without over-elaboration, with repeated use of the principal thematic figures as an aid to memory. Kyrie and Agnus Dei open and close the Mass in contemplative mood, whilst the other movements generally have a more upbeat feel, exemplified by the opening and closing sections of the Gloria. There are several opportunities for varied organ colour, including a solo reed that might help blow any morning cobwebs away!