Simple Yet Beautiful Easter Piece You Might Want To Sing This Sunday

Jeff Ostrowski · April 17, 2015

ERE’S A PIECE you might want to sing this Sunday. It uses a simple SATB refrain with a truly great hymn tune (COELITES PLAUDANT). The verses come from an Easter poem found in many ancient manuscripts; this one, for example.

Unison singing is mixed with polyphony (and I would recommend having your men & women alternate on the verses):

* * PDF Download • Vita Sanctorum with Refrain

Here’s an EQUAL VOICES rehearsal video:

Rehearsal videos for each singer:

SOPRANO: YouTube

ALTO: YouTube

TENOR: YouTube

BASS: YouTube

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

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