February 12, 200917 yr This piece was my first ever complete Choral work. Although I'm bound to have several errors, I was pleased with the overall end result. Please feel free to give any criticism, no matter how harsh. The opinion of the listener is what I need, so I hope you enjoy Ave Maria. *Playback note!!! Performance Tempo is 60, not the 120 that it will open as!) Ave Maria (Mine!).MUS
February 14, 200917 yr A very good first effort. There are some things I like, some things I don't...the biggest thing I could say is make sure you know what every word means and how you want it conveyed, because I felt that at times (particularly the last "nostrae") it didn't really feel connected to the words that came before it (in this case, what I feel to be the most important word in that phrase, the "mortis"). But you have some really good things going for you, your use of harmony is interesting in it's dissonance. Some of your resolutions could be more solid, at times you just arrived at a cadence without really feeling a sense of tension release. While that's ok, it could be a little tighter. An excellent first effort. I particularly like measures 23-28, I think you did really well in those areas. One more...beginning the sopranos in that high of a tessitura might be challenging for a high school group unless they are very warm. Again, if your choir can do it, go for it. You posted one of my favorite things to set to music...I write one Ave Maria per year because I'm always finding new things to comment on in the text. I'll post a copy of one of my Ave Marias and you can comment on it as well. KEEP COMPOSING!
February 15, 200917 yr Author Thanx for the feedback! Yeah, the word stress was the first thing my director's noticed when I showed them the piece. I wrote the piece by just sitting at the piano and trying to transcribe what was in my head, so I wasn't paying as much attention to the text as I should have. I'm looking forward to completing my second piece soon. It's a Choral setting of the Act of Contrition. I don't believe I've ever come across one, so I'm excited to be trying something totally new. I was hoping to fit this into a series of pieces centered around sin and redemption; eventually forming an Oratorio called "The Confession." For those who don't know the Act of Contrition, here is the text: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishment. But most of all because they offend thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.
