Mass for men's voices

I thought I'd post a little something I've been reworking. It's an early piece of mine (dating from around 15 years ago), but it's gone through some very major revision and recomposition (large parts of it are completely new as of this year).

It's a Mass in 5 movements, for tenor, tenor, baritone, bass soloists, men's chorus (T,T,B,B), oboe solo, and piano. I know it's a rather unusual combination, but it has possibilities.

Unfortunately, I haven't found a men's chorus willing to take it on yet. Hopefully some time in the next year. So this recording is a make-shift realization with strings replacing the chorus, and 4 clarinets replacing the 4 soloists.

I did not compose a Credo for this mass, replacing that particular text with the Our Father (which is musically partially based on the Gregorian chant Pater Noster).

if you are following in the score, the movements are as follows:
Kyrie page 1
Gloria page 6
Pater Noster page 16
Sanctus page 21
Agnus Dei page 28

I - Kyrie

II - Gloria

III - Pater Noster

IV - Sanctus

V - Agnus Dei

Score

The mass has a bit of a "programme" to it. Imagine it as a sort of mass for those who have been left out... for those on the outside, looking in. Which sort of explains the pervasive sadness throughout the work.

I believe the whole thing runs around 18 minutes, about 3-4 minutes per movement.

For those who have the good fortune (or misfortune, if that be the case) of working regularly with an ensemble, then they can sometimes pick up habits from those performers. I had the extreme good fortune of being assistant conductor for a massive semi-professional mixed chorus at the time I was writing the first version of this mass. Which means I had incredible basses with beautiful full, rich extreme low registers, and a phenomenal baritone section. None of the writing in my mass is particularly difficult to sing, but I'm well aware that not many choruses have that "Russian bass" sound from their men's section. Right now, I'm working on making alternate versions of some of those low passages.

I think you forgot to post the score, buddy.

Originally Posted by Matthew

I think you forgot to post the score, buddy.

oopsy... sorry 'bout that

As a note, I am a member of a men's chorus that may be interested in performing new material like this. Although I haven't reviewed the score as of yet, I am confident in your abilities as a composer and will review this piece in depth when I have the opportunity.

Well, this will teach me to post a score whilst I'm in the midst of revisions, instead of waiting until I'm actually FINISHED my revisions!

If anyone's actually listened to this score, the only really major change is that I've seriously reworked the Kyrie. The rest of the changes are more cosmetic (typos, corrections of inadvertant parallel 8ves - yes, I still do those every once in a while - and some phrasings I decided to ammend).

I thought that was a really rather beautiful mass!
Exquisite use of the oboe throughout.

"The mass has a bit of a "programme" to it. Imagine it as a sort of mass for those who have been left out... for those on the outside, looking in. Which sort of explains the pervasive sadness throughout the work."

Is there any particular reason for that? Though I guess the answer could be too personal, so I don't expect an answer.
I noticed this throughout the work, and I enjoyed this aspect of it; however I felt that the Gloria (although mostly rather upbeat) was just a little too gloomy for being a Gloria movement.
Also, was there any programmatic reason for the times when dissonance/tension were placed on the word "pacem" ? Or was no specific emphasis intended there?

All in all, a touching work which makes totally effective (and affective) use of its rather unorthodox instrumentation.

actually, yes, the dissonances and tensions on certain words were meant to bring out a sense of anguish and yearning.

for example, the entire Kyrie sections are pp-mp, while the Christe is F-FF. This was because the supplication to Christ was more immediate and personal to me. Maybe like a person might confide more honestly to a friend than to a parent? So at that moment the sense of despair and anguish is more apparent.

I can imagine many situations where a person might feel rejected by the Church...
This was a reaction to one of those.

for example, the entire Kyrie sections are pp-mp, while the Christe is F-FF. This was because the supplication to Christ was more immediate and personal to me. Maybe like a person might confide more honestly to a friend than to a parent? So at that moment the sense of despair and anguish is more apparent.

Ah, of course. That all makes sense.

I can imagine many situations where a person might feel rejected by the Church...
This was a reaction to one of those.

Yea - I understand.

Originally Posted by Daniel

Ah, of course. That all makes sense.


Yea - I understand.

but I'm VERY happy you noticed those moments... it means the effect wasn't lost on the listener

Ah, and this mass has been programmed into the concert season of a wonderful men's chorus here in Montréal, for the 2008-2009 or 2009-2010 season (details aren't set yet). More than likely it will also be recorded for a CD of Canadian music for men's voices. Very cool.