Wow – this would have to be one of the best recordings of this piece! Has Mr Lauridsen heard it? Just brilliant!

Wow! I'm blown away by the purest divinity of this performance. At 4.36 there appears to be a slight resonance, sounding a bit like organs. I'm speechless. Peace.

This is such a beautiful piece of music and this is sung just beautifully in this track. Just takes you out of this world.

So PERFECT. Dynamics are incredible. Very emotive, flowy and beautiful.

A beautiful performance. Lauridsen is such a wonderful composer and this does him great justice.

Choral

WHAT IS A PROLIX RESPONSORY
AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

by J. Michael Thompson,
on the eve of the First Sunday in Advent, 2021

I heard a prolix responsory sung for the first time in my life at the Church of the Ascension, Chicago, Illinois. The choir was singing the famous "A Procession with Carols on Advent Sunday, which traditionally opens with the choir in the narthex, singing what the "Carols for Choirs" calls "the Advent Responsory," set to a set of faux-bourdons by G. P. da Palestrina.  It is a wonderfully evocative text for the first day of the Church's new year of grace.

R.  I looked from afar, 
and I behold the power of God coming,
and a cloud covering the land.
Go ye out to meet Him and say:
Tell us if Thou art He that shall reign over Thy people Israel?

V. High and low, rich and poor, one with another,
R. Go ye out to meet Him and say:
Tell us if Thou art He that shall reign over Thy people Israel?

V. Hear, O Thou Shepherd  of Israel, 
Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep.
V. Tell us if Thou art He that shall reign over Thy people Israel?

V. Glory to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost:

R.  I looked from afar, 
and I behold the power of God coming,
and a cloud covering the land.
Go ye out to meet Him and say:
Tell us if Thou art He that shall reign over Thy people Israel?

The Palestrina setting is lovely, even if not designed by the composer for that particular text.

I was certain, the first time that I heard this text, that it was originally sung to a piece of plainsong.  Mind you, I had never been to a celebration of Matins (or Vigils) in the pre-Vatican II Roman Rite.  But I was certain that I was right.

It took very little sleuthing to find out that this Responsory was given in the Roman and monastic books as the First Responsory of the First Sunday of Advent.  A bit of follow-up showed me that its performance was done in a more complicated fashion than most other Responsories, with more repetitions of parts of the text than were often done.

But it was to be twenty years more before I would find a copy of the Mode VII melody.  It wasn't in the "Liber Usualis," which was my first  "go-to" source for plainchant melodies.  I found quite a few other prolix (long) responsories therein---for major feasts such as Christmas, Epiphany, the Sacred Triduum, Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi.  But nothing for Advent.  Finally, when not looking for it at all, I found it in a Cistertian book with many chants used for processions and other devotions often sung at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  There it was, "Aspiciens a longe."

And I longed to do a setting of it that would utilize its chant melody and still permit it to have the drama of choral music for the various parts of the "repetenda."

In 2001, I was able to publish a version of "the Procession With Carols on Advent Sunday," entitled "Redeemer of the Nations Come," which World Library Publications took a chance on  publishing, and in that collection, I put my own version of this gorgeous text, in English, so that it could be heard joined to it's ancient Gregorian melody, but in a 21st century dress.

I offer it to you and wish you a most blessed Advent!
JMT

Redeemer Of The Nations, Come

Choral Responsory: I Look From Afar

"O Magnum Mysterium" by Morten Lauridsen
Performed by The Choral Project
From "Water & Light" album

This track is available for purchase on CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/choralpro3

O Magnum Mysterium - Morten Lauridsen

Performance of the Gregorian Salve Regina coupled with Josquin DesPres's cantus firmus motet in my own performance edition. 

The motet is a marvel of musical craftsmanship: not only does it utilize the Gregorian chant in its entirety in the Alto voice, but its structure is a strict double canon throughout: Soprano/Alto sing one strict canon; Tenor/Bass sing a different strict canon. Performed by Voces Novae et Antiquae under my direction May 16, 2004, in Philadelphia, PA.

The performing edition is also available from me directly: <info@robertamross.com>

Background from Wikipedia:

The *Salve Regina,* also known as the "Hail Holy Queen," is a Marian hymn and one of four Marian antiphons sung at different seasons within the Christian liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. The *Salve Regina* is traditionally sung at Compline in the time from the Saturday before Trinity Sunday until the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent. "Hail Holy Queen" is also the final prayer of the Rosary.

The work was composed during the Middle Ages by German monk Hermann of Reichenau and originally appeared in Latin, the prevalent language of Western Christianity until modern times.

(Premier pars:)
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiæ,
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevæ,
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos
misericordes oculos ad nos converte;

(Secunda pars:)
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.


Wikipedia link

Salve Regina (Gregorian chant & Motet by Josquin DesPres; ed. Robert A.M. Ross [1984; rev. 2004])

Prayer of the Children

Alcuni tra i più celebri canti gregoriani accompagnati dall'orchestra sinfonica. Un repertorio intramontabile in una versione ricca di fascino, sonorità e suggestioni.

Jesu dulcis memoria, di B. di Chiaravalle

Veni Sancte Spiritus, Anonimo

Es Ist Ein Ros' Entsprungen, by Michael Praetorius

Music from our 2013 recording, "Mother & Child," featuring guest conductor Paul Agnew.

Praetorius, Es Ist Ein Ros' Entsprungen

Ave Maria by Morten Lauridsen

Antífona para un salmo

O magne pater in magna necessitate sumus
nunc igitur obsecramus obsecramus te per verbum tuum
per quod nos constituisti plenos quibus indigemus.
Nunc placeat tibi pater quia te decet
ut aspicias in nos per adiutorium tuum
ut non deficiamus et ne nomen tuum in nobis obscuretur
et per ipsum nomen tuum dignare nos adiuvare.



O magne pater - Hildegard von Bingen

02track2 vbr 2

Veni Veni Emmanuel

Salve, regina, mater misericordiae
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules, filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos
ad nos converte.
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis virgo Maria.


Salve, reina, madre de misericordia,
Vida, dulzura y esperanza nuestra, salve.
A ti clamamos, exiliados hijos de Eva.
A ti suspiramos, gimiendo y llorando
en este valle de lágrimas.
Ea pues,  abogada nuestra,
esos, tus ojos misericordiosos, vuelve a nosotros.
Y a Jesús, bendito fruto de tu vientre,
muéstranos, después de este exilio.
Oh clemente, oh piadosa, oh dulce virgen María.

Salve Regina - Antífona marial -(Antifonario Benedictino, 2007)

Schola Magdalena (Toronto, Canada) This Gregorian chant is from our first CD "O Gracious Light." Visit us at www.scholamagdalena.ca or www.stephaniemartinmusic.com

Ave Maria, Gregorian chant sung by Schola Magdalena

Salve Regina - Solemn Tone (Monastic Use)

Ave Maria - Morten Lauridsen

The Choral Project, a San Jose-based vocal ensemble founded by Artistic Director Daniel Hughes in 1996, has been hailed by San Jose Mercury News as “a Bay Area jewel,” stating that “there is nothing subtle about why this is one of the best choirs you will ever hear.” This group of multi-talented singers has developed an outstanding reputation for performing high-level choral literature and has performed throughout the world to rave reviews and standing ovations.

The Choral Project has received awards in some of the world’s most celebrated choral festivals, including first place (Choir's Choice), second place (Required Pieces), and third place (Folk Music) at the 2007 California International Choral Competition; and second place (Mixed Choir) at the 58th International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. The ensemble has also performed world premieres of choral works by Brent Heisinger, Brian Holmes, Theodore Lucas, and Stephen Schwartz.

The Choral Project has released eight albums: The Cycle of Life, Of Christmastide, Americana, Water & Light (the group’s #1 best seller on the Clarion label), Winter, One is the All, Tell the World, and most recently Yuletide, a festive collection of holiday favorites. All these recordings can be found on sjcp.org, iTunes and CDBaby.com. For more information, visit www.choralproject.org.

O Magnum Mysterium - Morten Lauridsen

The Choral Project

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