Sunday, December 14, 2014

Immaculate Conception - Feast Day

10 December 2014

EntranceThe Angel Gabriel
Penitential RiteSt Gabriel (mtgf)
GloriaAngels and Saints (Steven Janco)
Psalm 97Sing a new song (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationSalisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsAve maris stella (Elgar)
Eucharistic AcclamationsCreation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodAngels and Saints (Steven Janco)
CommunionVerbum caro (Richards Dubra)
FinalTell out my soul

Our Feast day was transferred as the Principal Celebrant, +Richard Moth, was in Salford on Monday.

We have not sung Elgar's setting of Ave maris stella for a number of years. (Our University motto is drawn from the text Monstra te esse matrem — it has always struck me as a slightly odd motto for what was founded as a male institution.) I was far more impressed by Elgar's setting this time especially the unison entries of the other parts as a soft interjection during the soprano and alto verses. The Dubra piece was new to us. It is similar to O Crux Ave in being simple homophony but here more an accompanied Soprano melody. It is part of a larger cantata and it struck me as self-consciously lovely by which I mean it was written to sound lovely - this is not criticism as the piece achieves its aim.

2 comments:

  1. You're only a couple more autocorrects away from Elsie the Mattress Monster, which must be a great children's book! I'll look out for the Dubra piece.

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  2. Peters Edition have published 2 anthologies of Dubra. This was in a further Christmas selection of Baltic music.

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