women’s 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: 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: 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