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Views from the Choir Loft

Too Many Sopranos? Try This Canon!

Jeff Ostrowski · August 9, 2016

ANY CHOIRMASTERS COMPLAIN about having too many sopranos, but perhaps they should explore the vast repertoire written for SSATB, such as the following piece by Fr. Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611). The Soprano parts form a perfect canon, which is without question 1 the most daunting of all techniques. This Motet could be used in various ways, and the text is an antiphon from the Transfiguration (August 6th). It seems especially fitting for use at BENEDICTION of the Blessed Sacrament.

Listen to the following section, with Tenor & Bass muted:


It creates a marvelous effect, doesn’t it? The Alto is a real killer in a few sections—but that always happens in major league canonic pieces like this one, because composers need to make sure the counterpoint “lines up.” If your altos are running out of breath, sing through the line yourself (SEE BELOW) before criticizing them!

A FRIEND OF MINE helped record the full piece, giving our readers an idea how it sounds:

    * *  PDF Download • “RESPLENDUIT FACIES” (T. L. de Victoria)

REHEARSAL VIDEOS :

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube   •   Mp3 Audio

FIRST SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Audio

SECOND SOPRANO : YouTube   •   Audio

ALTO : YouTube   •   Audio

TENOR : YouTube   •   Audio

BASS : YouTube   •   Audio


The original part books give a special sign for when the Canon begins and ends, but as far as I can tell they don’t provide notation for the Second Soprano during the final four measures. I’d be curious to know how the singers knew which pitches to sing for those measures.

The motet’s beginning is quite special because it sounds “radiant”—for obvious reasons. 2



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Needless to say, I’m speaking of canons which follow the rules; any fool can write one that doesn’t follow the rules.

2   The numerous consonants during the first section may have been intentionally placed to create a kind of percussive effect (cf. “sicut nix”), but to be honest my ears are relieved when the section is over.

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

Filed Under: Articles 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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Quick Thoughts

19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“…it would be a very praiseworthy thing and the correction would be so easy to make that one could accommodate the chant by gradual changes; and through this it would not lose its original form, since it is only through the binding together of many notes put under short syllables that they become long without any good purpose when it would be sufficient to give one note only.”

— Zarlino (1558) anticipating the Medicæa

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