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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Rehearsal Videos • “Jesu Dulcis Memoria”

Jeff Ostrowski · September 3, 2015

OUR CHOIR CAN SING the following composition at any time during the liturgical year. I first sang it as a freshman in college, under Dr. James F. Daugherty. At the last minute, Daugherty shifted us into “mixed position”—he loved keeping us on our toes! Singing this piece a cappella that night made a great impression upon me, and I realized I wanted to be a choirmaster the rest of my life (not a pianist):

    * *  PDF Download • “Jesu Dulcis Memoria” (attr. VICTORIA)

    * *  PDF Download • Additional Verses to make this piece longer


Scroll to the bottom and you’ll discover wonderful REHEARSAL VIDEOS to help your choir learn.

THIS PIECE HAS BEEN attributed to a Spanish priest, Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611)—perhaps the greatest composer of all time—but anyone familiar with Victoria’s style realizes that he could not have written this piece. 1 I had thought the earliest copy was from 1843, in a French collection called Recueil des morceaux de musique ancienne—literally “A collection of scraps of ancient music.” Here’s how it looked in 1843:

    * *  PDF Download • “Jesu Dulcis Memoria” from 1843

However, my friend Nancho Alvarez sent me another copy, also created toward the middle of the 19th century:


I suspect the person who created that manuscript is the true composer.

REHEARSAL VIDEOS :

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube   •   Mp3 Audio

SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Audio

ALTO : YouTube   •   Audio

TENOR : YouTube   •   Audio

BASS : YouTube   •   Audio




NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   If Victoria did compose this piece, it must have been written toward the very end of his life, based on the style.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Jesu Dulcis Memoria Polyphony, Toms Luis de Victoria Composer Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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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).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Indeed I might add that although unfamiliar with it myself, the Extraordinary Form expressly reminds us that Mass in either form is not merely a communion meal but a ritual of love, a sacrifice at Calvary, by which, for you and for me, yes, here and now, Jesus Christ lays down his life.

— ‘Most Rev. Philip Egan, Bishop of Portsmouth’

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