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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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Jeff Ostrowski

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

Surprising Popularity!

One of our most popular downloads has proven to be the organ accompaniment to “The Monastery Hymnal” (131 pages). This book was compiled, arranged, and edited by Achille P. Bragers, who studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium) about thirty years before that school produced the NOH. Bragers might be considered an example of Belgium “Stile Antico” whereas Flor Peeters and Jules Van Nuffel represented Belgium “Prima Pratica.” You can download the hymnal by Bragers at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • To Capitalize…?

In the Introit for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, there is a question regarding whether to capitalize the word “christi.” The Vulgata does not, because Psalm 27 is not specifically referring to Our Lord, but rather to God’s “anointed one.” However, Missals tend to capitalize it, such as the official 1962 Missal and also a book from 1777 called Missel de Paris. Something tells me Monsignor Knox would not capitalize it.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • “Sung vs. Spoken”

We have spoken quite a bit about “sung vs. spoken” antiphons. We have also noted that the texts of the Graduale Romanum sometimes don’t match the Missal texts (in the Extraordinary Form) because the Mass Propers are older than Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, and sometimes came from the ITALA versions of Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the Missal itself doesn’t match the Vulgate—cf. the Introit “Esto Mihi.” The Vulgate has: “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in domum refúgii…” but the Missal and Graduale Romanum use “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in locum refúgii…” The 1970s “spoken propers” use the traditional version, as you can see.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

St Ambrose had to be “corrected” by Pope Urban VIII. The ‘Iste confessor’ was greatly altered and the hymn for the Dedication of a Church—which no one ought to have touched—was in fact completely recast in a new meter. Singular demand, made by the taste of that particular epoch!

— Re: The hymn revisions of Pope Urban VIII (d. 1644)

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