QcCowboy

a few notation commnets (since you've only been writing for a short time):

corect the inter-layer naturals and flats (when there's a flat in layer 1, and a flat in layer 2, you need to "hide" the layer 2 alteration, or else you get a "double alteration" which I know is not what you were asking for).

In vocal music, as you well did, all the expressions (dynamics, etc..) go above the staff.. however, so do the triplet brackets, UNLESS there is no risk what so ever of the bracket interfering with lyrics.. which unfortunately, here they do.

For heavily divided sections, such as your "gloria" in triplets section in the tenors, use two staves. Screw the "saving space" thing.

I will also have to say that to write "have mercy us" in the last phrase is clumsy. The vocal linebeing sung by everyone from soprano 2 down WILL stick out like a sore thumb. The audience will actually hear "have mercy us" and wonder what the hell that means. Looking at your score, I see no convincing musical reason for leaving out the word "on" in that final phrase.

It is excellent that there are no extraneous slurs being used as phrase markings.. HOWEVER, wherever a single syllable covers multiple notes (for example, measure 1, soprano: glo-----ri-a), you MUST slur all the notes that are sung to that single syllable.

Likewise, any shorter groups must be slurred as well (measur 6... where you have the syllable "de" cover 2 notes)

Speaking of which, again, there is no convincing musical reason to butcher the word "Deo" into a single syllable "De". This makes your text, in essence "Gloria in excelsis de-Deo".. you're making the chorus stutter. It's just silly. Get rid of that. Toss in the missing syllable. It won't alter your music for the worse. As a matter of fact, it improves it.

On the subject of those missing syllables and words: ONLY do that within carefully hidden inner lines. Which basically means, don't do it. Ever.


For your dotted tied notes with the ad lib lyrics, write in "ad libitum" after the lyrics. And there is no need to put the * at EVERY single phrase that uses this trick.

You just write the first lyric as "Laudamus Te (ad libitum)*" with your asterisk to the footnote in the score, then from that point on, for each new phrase, write "Benedicimus Te (ad libitum)" without the asterisk... by this point, they should KNOW what "ad libitum" means.

At measure 29, I would completely avoid that annoying "half a word" trick you're doing. HAVE the first altos sing "tibi"... HAVE the second altos sing "magnam" (NOTE: it's magNAM not magNUM - pronounced "ma-nyam" not "mag-nam"), HAVE the tenors sing "Gloriam".

By the way, no tie in the tenor part, from measure 29-30.. there are two syllables, no need for a tie on that G.

On text setting: measure 40 the word is "De-us"... pronounced "day-oos", not like "deuce" like when you play cards.... so you're missing a syllable there.

measure 46, I would go with a more standard Latin orthography and write Jesu rather than the Greek Iesu. The reason for this is that in Latin, it should be two syllables, pronounced Ye - zoo. The way you have it written, a chorus could be expected to do three syllables: Eee - e-zoo

measure 50, be sure to divide the syllables properly a well: Agnus divides into A-gnus, not Ag-nus.
measure 51, that is fil-li-us... not fil-ius. so you're missing a syllbale there.
measure 51-52: it's Pa-tris.

as for your english setting, measure 57, it should probably be ta-keth, rather than tak-eth. Though I won't put my hand in fire over that one.

Musically, I am not convinced measure 60, tenors, the word "World" all by its lonesome, makes any sense. It would be more convincing as simply an "ah!".

Come to think of it, "world" being such a close-mouthed word is NOT the best choice for a long held note like that section is giving us. bascially, you are asking the chorus to sing a crescendo on the sound "wur", with the terminal consonant cluster "ld". That's very weak.

I take exception to the ending as well.
The end of "ghost" cannot be sonically morphed into an "ah" sound.
I understand the effect you are going for.. but it won't work. The word is "Ghost": goe---- ST. It has a hard dental final consonant, AND a consonant cluster. It's just not good text setting.

If you want a final "ah", then write it. Never mind the gimmicky "morphing" effects.