AM NEARING THE END of my first year as a full-time Director of Music and Liturgy. Saying ‘I learned a lot’ would be my understatement of the year. Thankfully, I was surrounded by a pastor, colleagues, cantors, and choristers who were on board, wanted me to succeed, and made a lot happen so that I can share things with our readership. Something I had to learn quickly in this role conducting four choirs—and still need to improve on—is planning out choral repertoire. I want the beautiful music to come together (and come together credibly), without overwhelming my volunteer choristers. The piece below is one of more simple-but-lovely pieces my advanced women’s choir, SCHOLA IMMACULATA, sang following the Easter Vigil OFFERTORY ANTIPHON. This Schola does not meet weekly. The women meet in anticipation of their select solemnities.1
Schola Immaculata • The deal is, that they have to attend fewer (but longer) rehearsals. They also must come to rehearsal already knowing their part, so we can jump right to the music-making. This SCHOLA had just come off of singing demanding Holy Thursday repertoire, fully a cappella following the GLORIA. When I was choosing the Vigil music, I knew I wanted more organ involved, after its multi-day silence and I knew they were singing a difficult Communion piece. I wanted the piece during Offertory to feel like a deep breath. While hunting, I stumbled on Carlotta Ferrari’s Altissimo Glorioso Dio and it ticked all the boxes. I believe anyone reading this would find this a fitting text during the Vigil. Here’s a live recording from the culmination of the Triduum:
* PDF Download • “Text by St Francis of Assisi” (Carlotta Ferrari)
—Italian: ‘Altissimo glorioso Dio, illumina le tenebre de lo core mio.’
—English: ‘O most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart.’
iPhone Cannot Capture • I know it’s easy to say this, but this recording does not do the music justice. Apologies to my wonderful colleague and organist, Michel Shestak, on that front! My iPhone did not quite capture her low organ pedal tones at the end of the piece and how they felt like the tomb of our Lord opening up, while her right hand sounded like the music was being lifted to heaven during the incensing. Many of us strive for the music during Mass to feel separate from the outside world as we lift our eyes and minds to God and I humbly believe this music on that most holy night accomplished that goal.
Addendum • I didn’t feel the need to provide background on Carlotta Ferrari when Mr. Smith has already done this.
1 Namely: all the Marian holy days of obligation, Holy Thursday, and the Easter Vigil.
