choir

Schola Cantorum concert with Hildegard songs

Posted by sara-garrard

This weekend we had the first, I think, UK performance of the Four Hildegard texts, and the definitely first performance of O virga ac diadema (another setting of words by Hildegard), by my ogs, Bristol University Schola Cantorum. A big thank you to Emma Hornby, Gillian Hurst, and all the staff of St. Nicholas’ Brockley for a lovely afternoon. I wondered at first why this venue, out in the middle of nowhere it seemed to me (— a non-driving urbanite, bear in mind though)… once I got there all became clear. I walked down a track through a field in the low afternoon sun towards and old stone tower in the distance, then through some kind of magical tree-shaded lane…

To here. I definitely recommend visiting if you are ever nearby!

Schola sang my Hildegard settings between two sets of plainchant, the first while processing into the church and up to the front.

Excerpt O virga diadema:

Missa Brevis: 5 Agnus Dei

Posted by sara-garrard

The last part of the mass setting, and by far the angstiest. I need to think how to explain this properly for a commentary but — well, I guess we’re concentrating on the weight of the sins of the world aspect, and the pain/sacrifice of Jesus being the lamb of God.

Also, the Dona nobis pacem — grant us peace…. I feel like those words had almost the most weight of meaning and expectation in setting of all of this, because they’re very direct, especially coming at the end, and there’s something of a tradition of singing them as a prayer for world peace…  Here they’re laid out very plain and cold and simple, and that’s intentional.

Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi
miserere nobis
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi
dona nobis pacem

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
grant us peace.

Missa Brevis: 4. Benedictus

Posted by sara-garrard

this might be my favourite.  Also the closest in spirit to Arvo Pärt, maybe?  It holds onto the repetition a lot.  Again, setting both the sounds of the words on the small scale — I absolutely love how “in nomine Domini” feels to speak or sing — and the sense of the words on the large scale: blessedness.

Benedictus qui venit
in nomine Domini.
Osanna in excelsis.

Blessed is He that cometh
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Missa Brevis: 3. Sanctus

Posted by sara-garrard

This is shortest and simplest (?) movement — it also seemed to be catchiest and a lot of people’s favourite even though it’s actually only sung by a small group of us altos.  (That’s me in the duet at the start!)

I’ve sung a few mass settings since I was young in choirs so the words are familiar, and then I did Latin and learnt what they actually meant….  So what I’m doing here is playing with that familiarity like to an extent the words just become nice sounds — and pleni sunt coeli by itself is just a fragment (“full are the heavens—” (first part of “heaven and earth are full of your glory”) but the rhymey-ness of it is so fun.  But also I was definitely trying to set the overall meaning of the text, and again I wanted to do it a in a specific way, like, happy and bouncy — like a work song or an every day song (I had been listening to Estonian folk/work songs)  If we’re singing God is holy and everywhere is full of that glory it should be sung like… an every-day gloriousness, no less glorious for that of course…. and happy!

As one of the people singing it, it is just possible to breathe it! Just.

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Osanna in excelsis.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.  Hosanna in the highest.

Missa Brevis: 2. Gloria

Posted by sara-garrard

The Gloria section was kind of daunting because there are suddenly SO MANY WORDS to set.

This one is almost all in strictly two-part singing or just one, and features more fifths 😀  It’s got call and response type ideas and uses the Gloria in excelsis Deo itself as a kind of refrain.  For this (and the Sanctus) I was thinking a little of the Estonian runic songs and work songs, also often sung by women with a leader and responses.  I also wanted to do something upbeat and bouncy!  (Except for the little bit of chant-style in the middle.)

(text linked here for length!)

Missa Brevis: 1. Kyrie eleison

Posted by sara-garrard

I first started this Kyrie a year and a half ago and did a lil draft of me singing it into the computer 😀  I don’t think at that time I was even thinking of it being a Real Thing sung by a Real Choir; it was a slightly spur of the moment thing experimenting with simplicity, drones, FIFTHS and Lydian mode — very very loosely inspired by a tiny of Icelandic music I’d heard (the Lydian and the fifths!)  But I did write the rest of the mass setting and then to my delight our conductor asked “so do you have anything else for us to sing?” and we rehearsed it this term.  I am so so pleased with how it eventually turned out, especially in the acoustic of the church where we performed.  Everything I could have hoped for.  (I’m on here!  Singing the drone :D)

This is just very very meditative — the same thing cycles around with slight variation a total of seven times — I think the influence of Pärt and holy minimalism is even clearer in another movement but that’s the sort of mood here for sure.  I love being part of this group, I love writing for women’s voices and I love absorbing influences from our mostly medieval repertoire.

Kyrie eleison (Κύριε ἐλέησον)
Lord, have mercy
Christe eleison (Χριστέ ἐλέησον)
Christ, have mercy

Psalm

Posted by sara-garrard

Live recording from the concert in November that I just got back!!  This is only the very last section of a longer piece and to some extent the audience is supposed to hear it in context because it is very pretty and full of relief and consummation buuuut on the other hand.  it is very pretty 🙂  you might like it.  

The words are adapted from Psalm 5.  Every other section in the full piece was from a poem by a woman, and while this psalm may not have been… It can still be ours.

I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy
Harken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning.

Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness.
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness
But thou wilt bless the righteous
With favour wilt thou compass her as with a shield.