Motet a 8 "O Magnum Mysterium" in E-flat major.

In anticipation for this year's Christmas Eve, I decided to try my hand at writing another religious motet. Considering the fact that the bulk of this piece has been composed merely in the span of yet another insomnia-driven bout of inspiration, perhaps its modest length may as well be a reflection of missed potential, as I reckon it could have been developed into a more complex structure should its latter half not have got stuck on a protracted pre-cadential spiral.

Once again, just as with my previous vocal fugue, the main goal of this composition was to make the text as intelligible as possible (specially taking into account the musical history of such a well-known textual setting), that is, within the confines and constraints of an 8-voice motet. This has ultimately led to some interesting contrapuntal oddities which, despite the preservation of independent voice-leading and thorough avoidance of melodic and harmonic blunders, have produced a number of somewhat unorthodox unresolved dissonances throughout. Nevertheless, I believe such contrapuntal licenses are more than sufficiently justified given the scope of this piece, as well as the sheer volume and density of its texture all the way through.

This piece was specifically conceived as a submission for this year's edition of the forum's Christmas Music Event, and shall be presented accordingly in its dedicated thread.

YouTube video link: 

Hi Pabio @Fugax Contrapunctus!

This is an absolute achievement to write an 8 part counterpoint with this beautiful effect! I myself wrote a 6 part one and felt like it's killing my brain, but an 8 part would sure will my whole body! The rhythm is so well used here to create space for each voice's counterpoint so the whole thing is smooth and flowing.

On 12/18/2025 at 2:02 PM, Fugax Contrapunctus said:

within the confines and constraints of an 8-voice motet. This has ultimately led to some interesting contrapuntal oddities which, despite the preservation of independent voice-leading and thorough avoidance of melodic and harmonic blunders, have produced a number of somewhat unorthodox unresolved dissonances throughout. Nevertheless, I believe such contrapuntal licenses are more than sufficiently justified given the scope of this piece, as well as the sheer volume and density of its texture all the way through.

Since it's an 8 part motet, all those "oddities" aren't odd at all! With more voices for sure the "rules" can be more lenient. The sonority is very rich and nothing feels wrong here! And this one is very fitting to the Christmas setting!

Thx very much for submitting this wonderful piece and joining the event!

Henry

Hi @Fugax Contrapunctus!

Only in choral music can so many individual lines at once still retain their individuality.  The tone colors of the different voice types are different enough as to grant them distinctiveness even when they're really close together or even overlapping.  And here I thought I was working with a lot of voices in my recent Christmas Mash-up for SMATBB!!!  Although even in that 6 voice arrangement, I sometimes use divisi.  Thanks for sharing this wonderful choral work!  It makes me wonder how apt Cantamus is at rendering words in other languages (like for example Polish since my Christmas Mash-up's so far feature Polish, English and Latin lyrics).  Great job!

1 hour ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Hi Pabio @Fugax Contrapunctus!

This is an absolute achievement to write an 8 part counterpoint with this beautiful effect! I myself wrote a 6 part one and felt like it's killing my brain, but an 8 part would sure will my whole body! The rhythm is so well used here to create space for each voice's counterpoint so the whole thing is smooth and flowing.

[...]

Greetings Henry!

Under normal circumstances, such egregiously positive feedback would have me including several rephrases of "thank you" in my response. In your particular case though, I feel it is only proper that I answer with a wholeheartedly humble 不敢當, and for good reason. Of those among your 6-part compositions I've had the awe-inducing pleasure of listening to, your mastery of complex textures across vast swathes of music is on a completely different level, perhaps even unrivaled, if I may dare.

To mention the most prominent example, your String Sextet in G-flat major, does not merely fit the conventional definition of "masterpiece", but rather expands upon it beyond what was conceptually possible in my mind up until that point. Its technical perfection and measured balance of musical aspects excelled over everything I knew when it comes to structural integrity, modulatory prowess, stylistic variety, motivic resourcefulness, contrapuntal-device handling, internal narrative coherence, ...the list just goes on! Given I already wrote back then what was perhaps my lengthiest review ever on this forum, I won't repeat myself too much on the myriad wonders your work ellicited on me and continues to evoke every time I've listened to it since.

What I am trying to say is: it means a lot to me to hear that you, whom I consider to be one of the greatest masters in our generation, are pleased with such a comparatively minor piece of mine, if there's even to be any comparison at all between this and your utmost proficiency in counterpoint both innovative and sublime. It may have two more voices than your 6-part compositions, but does it even matter when the brilliance of any of those far exceeds my whole production like a supernova outshining an entire galaxy? In the end, I can't help but appreciate the generosity of your remarks, even if I ultimately feel undeserving of them in the face of the insumrountable magnitude and unparalleled quality of your output. Thank you kindly, Henry. It is truly an honour.

30 minutes ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Hi @Fugax Contrapunctus!

Only in choral music can so many individual lines at once still retain their individuality.  The tone colors of the different voice types are different enough as to grant them distinctiveness even when they're really close together or even overlapping. [...]

Indeed. The similar timbre of other instrument families often makes the individual lines muddled amidst the density of the texture, as often tends to happen in my keyboard compositions even just for 4 voices. But the human voice still retains that distinct timbral quality to it, somehow capable of preventing its integration into a larger choral whole from forsaking the uniqueness of its sound and the meandering of its melody. A testament, perhaps, to how vocal music was upheld as the most sacred during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance; not just because of the references to the purported sanctity of the natural human voice in the Old Bible and the Gospels, but because its endless versatility and potential in conjoining doesn't undermine the independence of each line nearly as much as it otherwise does for instruments. Thomas Tallis himself certainly took this to the absolute non plus ultra with his renowned Spem in alium, and yet, the fact that 40 voices singing simultaneously may still be perceived as individually separate with each listening instance still leaves room for even more ambitious polyphonic endeavours to be produced (although it would certainly be beyond overkill to even try).

50 minutes ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

[...] Thanks for sharing this wonderful choral work!  It makes me wonder how apt Cantamus is at rendering words in other languages (like for example Polish since my Christmas Mash-up's so far feature Polish, English and Latin lyrics).  Great job!

Thank you kindly as well! Though unfortunately I have bad news concerning the languages supported by the current version of Cantāmus:

In any case, I'm sure a real choir would be far more adept at singing in Polish than the vaguely synth-sounding lyric renderings Cantāmus usually provides, though of course such an eventuality would come at a far greater cost. Perhaps an online choir with individual part recordings being carefully timed and assembled together might do the trick. Otherwise, a live premiere with a professional choir would be my best bet. Either that or browsing the Internet for competitors, of which I know none whose lyric rendering quality comes even close to that of Cantāmus.