Views from the Choir Loft

Cristóbal de Morales Missa “Ut Re Mi Fa Sol La.”

Jeff Ostrowski · January 12, 2015

HOIRMASTERS ARE ALWAYS in need of exquisite music that can be sung well by amateur choirs. Therefore, you’ll want to immediately download this “Sanctus” by Cristóbal de Morales (†1553), one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance.

In an emergency—when your skilled singers are absent—you can always sing the whole thing in plainsong (see below). The Solfège has been added to assist during rehearsal:

* * PDF Download: Polyphonic “Hosanna”

* * PDF Download: Plainsong

What does it sound like? Here’s the polyphony sung by Matthew J. Curtis:

* * Mp3 Download: Equal Voices (Curtis)

To help your choir learn, practice videos & audio files are available:

Practice Video: SOPRANO • Mp3 Practice File: SOPRANO

Practice Video: ALTO • Mp3 Practice Audio: ALTO

Practice Video: TENOR • Mp3 Practice Audio: TENOR

Practice Video: BASS • Mp3 Practice Audio: BASS

(If your singers don’t know Mass XVII, send them here.)

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

14 June 2021 • “From Rehearsal…”

One of our choristers recorded this audio excerpt from a recent rehearsal we had. I know there are certain people on the internet who claim that “proper voice leading & harmonies died with Bach in 1750AD…anything goes these days.” But I could not disagree more with such an assertion. The proper rules of harmony and counterpoint make incredible music—and I would suggest that tiny excerpt (from our volunteer choir rehearsal) shows this reality.

—Jeff Ostrowski

3 June 2021 • Re: “Mass of the Angels”

In the past, we have provided thirteen organ accompaniments to Mass VIII (a.k.a. “Missa de Angelis”). Some versions of the KYRIALE use the melody from Sanctus VIII for Agnus VIII also. Dr. Peter Wagner’s 1903 edition of the KYRIALE does this, as we mentioned earlier this month. Please sing through Sanctus VIII and then sing O Quam Suavis Est from the feast of Corpus Christi. Do you hear it?

—Jeff Ostrowski

1 June 2021 • Unsure of Author

The editors of this 1667AD Missale Romanum weren’t sure who wrote the VEXILLA REGIS hymn, so they wrote this in the margin. (To be fair, the original text by Bishop Fortunatus was greatly altered under Pope Urban VIII.)

—Jeff Ostrowski