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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

A Chinese Mass Setting

Andrew Leung · February 1, 2018

AVE YOU EVER WONDERED what church music in the Far East sounds like? The following recording was captured live recently during a Mass sung by Vox Antiqua, my new choir in Hong Kong. This is a Mass setting by Fr. Si-Yan Tang of Macau. It is a “missa brevis” for two voices, containing three movements: Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. While Vox Antiqua mainly focus on promoting Western Church Music, (in fact we are working really hard on Stanford’s Beati Quorum Via and it is not the easiest piece for a 3-month-old choir to learn) we also try our best to pursue musical excellence in the local sacred music. You can follow us on Facebook and YouTube.

R. SI-YAN- TANG was born in Macau in 1939. He is the nephew of the late Archbishop Dominic Tang of Canton. During his time at St. Joseph Seminary, Fr. Tang studied music with the Austrian composer, Fr. Guilherme Schmid, SDB. Fr. Tang was ordained to the priesthood in 1964. He has been an active composer, especially composing sacred music in Chinese for the faithful in Hong Kong and Macau. He is also a very talented visual artist, skillful in Chinese and Western painting and Chinese calligraphy. Fr. Tang continues to serve as an assistant parish priest in the Diocese of Macau nowadays.

On a similar note, I recently discovered a setting of “Ave Maria“ (PDF) by Mons. Antonio Chi-Ming Lau on the website of the Sacred Music Commission of the Diocese of Hong Kong. This is a 4-parts piece with organ accompaniment. The piece is written mainly in a Chinese style, but you will also find a fugue towards the end of the piece. Mons. Lau was also a student of Fr. Schmid, and I shared a recording of his work a few weeks ago in this post.

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 Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

At papal Masses, the regulations against tardiness were more stringent than at Masses celebrated by cardinals or bishops. Giovanni Maria Nanino records that any singer who is not in his place—and in his vestments—by the end of the repetition of the “Introit” will be fined eight vinti. At papal Vespers, the singer who is not present at the “Gloria Patri” of the first psalm pays a fine of fifty balocchi.

— Giovanni M. Nanino (d. 1607), Papal “Maestro di Cappella”

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