Views from the Choir Loft

Richard Rice • SATB Kyrie from Mass VIII

Jeff Ostrowski · June 22, 2015

ICHARD RICE has composed a wonderful choral version of Kyrie VIII and graciously made the official score available for free. To make it easier for my choir to sing—since our volunteer choir includes amateurs uncomfortable with repeat barlines—I have created a performance edition.

The following audio excerpt removes the organ to demonstrate the lush harmonies:

* * Audio Excerpt • Voices without organ

Listen to the first Kyrie without the Soprano line:

* * Audio Excerpt • Without Soprano

Can you hear the tune? Here’s that same section with Soprano included.

Organists might appreciate downloading this.

THE FOLLOWING REHEARSAL RESOURCES will help your choir learn this lovely piece & sing it with confidence:

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube • Mp3 Audio

SOPRANO : YouTube • Audio

ALTO : YouTube • Audio

TENOR : YouTube • Audio

BASS : YouTube • Audio

Mr. Rice has composed choral versions for each section of Mass VIII. The complete score is 25 pages, and was posted on the CMAA forum a few weeks ago.

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).

Can You Spare 33 Seconds?

Here’s an audio excerpt (33 seconds) of a setting for Kyrie VIII which was recorded live last Sunday at our parish in Los Angeles. The setting (“Missa de Angelis”) is by composer Richard Rice, and you can download the free PDF if you click here and scroll to the bottom. I think Richard’s composition is marvelous. I missed a few notes on the organ, but I’ll get them right next time.

—Jeff Ostrowski

5 April 2021 • When Girls Sing

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

—Jeff Ostrowski

29 March 2021 • FEEDBACK

“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

—Jeff Ostrowski