Saturday, September 11, 2010

Missa Brevis

When people say they want modern music at Mass, not all that Gregorian chant, Palestrina and Mozart, what would they think if they got this? It`s from 1968 and so is post-conciliar.
I first came across this at the Aldeburgh festival a few years ago when Brian Ferneyhough was the featured composer. I wonder if it has ever been performed at a Mass? Don`t give up after a few seconds: it gets more exciting at the 3.10 mark.

The Kyrie and Gloria:




The Sanctus and Agnus Dei:



8 comments:

David O'Neill said...

Please don't go there again. Who could listen to 3 minutes in the hope it MIGHT get better?

Seeker said...

I find myself wondering Father quite how firmly your tongue is in your cheek. If I assume it is lodged centrally then I would have to say that the parts of the Mass normally sung by the people would require music that was reasonably capable of being performed by a mixed ability congregation. This piece would struggle to meet that criterion. In fact I think only a professional choir of some standing would be able to even attempt it. I suspect it would also suffer the defect of inducing giggles in even the best trained altar servers, thus not fulliling the need for decorum and reverential posture.

Fr Michael Brown said...

Seeker, don`t worry tongue is firmly in cheek although it does grow on you after a few hearings.

Em said...

Sorry, couldn't bear it. I pulled the slider along to 3 minutes to see if it was any better and there was some woman screeching and wailing so I clicked it off.
I wouldn't be adding this to my Kinderchor repertoire.

FatherTF said...

After a few hearings, I'm sure that it would seem as though I had things growing all over me.

Mike Forbester said...

Reminds me of Giles Swayne. Similar stuff. More to the point though, we have actually sung a mass composed *this century* in the EF. We don't just do Tallis, Byrd, Palestrina etc...!

I have been asked if we can sing the Missa Luba sometime, liturgically of course, complete with drums. We'll see! ;-)

Fr Michael Brown said...

Mike I would love to have the Vaughan Williams Mass at the EF. Is that in the Rudgates` repertoire?

Mike Forbester said...

Not yet, but there's no reason why it shouldn't be!