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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

    Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
    “Candlemas” • Our choir sang on February 2nd, and here's a live recording of the beautiful INTROIT: Suscépimus Deus. We had very little time to rehearse, but I think it has some very nice moments. I promise that by the 8th Sunday after Pentecost it will be perfect! (That Introit is repeated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost.) We still need to improve, but we're definitely on the right track!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful. From “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium” you can hear a live excerpt (Mp3).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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“Young people have entrusted me with their absolute preference for the Extraordinary Form… […] But, above all, how can we understand—how can we not be surprised and deeply shocked—that what was the rule yesterday is prohibited today? Is it not true that prohibiting or suspecting the Extraordinary Form can only be inspired by the demon who desires our suffocation and spiritual death?”

— Cardinal Sarah to Edward Pentin (23 September 2019)

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