OT LONG AGO, I released this setting of the Agnus Dei. It consists of three parts: (a) Canon by Nanino; (b) Duo by Guerrero; (c) SATB “Dona nobis” by Guerrero. For lack of a better term, I label such compositions as piecemeal polyphony. Piecemeal polyphony can be introduced one section at a time—rather than attempting all three sections immediately. As you may have already guessed, piecemeal polyphony is excellent for volunteer choirs.
Adding Variety • During the month of July, our choir does not sing, but females who desired to sing were welcome. That meant we sang “section 2” a whole lot, which made me decide (yesterday) to replace it with something new:
* PDF Download • Alternate “Section 2” (Guerrero)
—This SATB section can substitute for the two-voice (“duo”) Section 2.
Despondency: Most readers won’t click on the individual voice parts, and that makes me sad. When we post a “scandalous” liturgical video, we get 40,000 views. I wish we could accumulate as many views for the rehearsal videos—we must revive authentic sacred music!
