SKU: HL.277282
UPC: 840126915006. 6.75x10.5 inches.
Program note:Looking Up is a piece for large chorus and orchestra, and is in three sections, played without pause. In the 16th century, a variety of psalters in meter were printed in England, with the idea of making psalm-singing something that could happen easily at home, with the rhyming meter being an aid to memorization. These translations are wonderful exercises in brevity and sometimes clumsy rhymemaking, and were usually prefaced by a lengthy explanation as to their merits; the title of one of the first such volumes in English is: The Psalter of Dauid newely translated into Englysh metre in such sort that it maye the more decently, and wyth more delyte of the mynde, be reade and songe of al men. I thought it would be appropriate to set one of these introductions, and the first section of Looking Up sets the preface to Thomas Ravenscroft's psalter (1621), in which he writes: “The singing of Psalmes (assay the Doctors) comforteth the sorrowfull, pacifieth the angry, strengtheneth the weake, humbleth the proud, gladdeth the humble, stirres up the slow, reconcileth enemies, lifteth up the heart to heavenly things, and uniteth the Creature to his Creator.”It begins meditatively, but eventually grows agitated and fervent, with a vision of the “quire of Angels and Saints” “redoubling anddescanting” - an ecstatic and terrifying vision of the skies opening up. Ravenscroft then encourages the use of instrumental musicfor worship, at which point, a long, acrobatic orchestral interlude with jagged edges antagonizes the choir, who sing a kind of private, anxious meditation on two pitches.One of the most delicious biblical texts is an Apocryphal prayer known as the Benedicite or the Prayer of the Three Children (the same who were rescued by an angel after King Nebuchadnezzar tried to have them burnt in an oven for not bowing to his image). The text is repetitive, obsessive, and a gift to composers - each line is an invocation of an element of the natural world, followed by the phrase, “blesse ye the Lord, praise him & magnify him for ever.” In Looking Up, the setting begins with three solo voices, and then grows to include the whole choir, itemizing the whole of creation. The idea that these boys are spared from the furnace and then five minutes later are saying, “O ye the fire and warming heate, blesse ye the Lord...” has always felt very loaded to me, and the orchestra plays with this conflict between joyful praise and a more terrible (in the 16th-century sense) awefor the divine.The text for the third, and shortest, section is taken from Christopher Smart's (1722-1771) A Song to David, purportedly written during his confinement in a mental asylum. This ode to King David points out how David, as the author of some of the Psalms, observes the whole world from the “clustering spheres” to the “nosegay in the vale.&rdquo.
SKU: GI.G-018000
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Before the implementation of the new translation of The Roman Missal, the Mass of Redemption enjoyed a high level of popularity in parishes across the country and beyond. With the advent of the new translation, this Mass has become even more popular. Steve Janco rewrote the Gloria for the new translation and his through-composed setting is energetic and bright, bringing a sparkle to the new text. The Mass is written in the bright key of D major, bringing a joyful quality to the celebration of Sunday Mass, especially during the Christmas and Easter seasons, as well as the Sundays of Ordinary Time. Set for cantor, choir, assembly, keyboard, and guitar (with optional instrumental parts for brass quartet and timpani, two woodwinds, and handbells), the choral writing is in two parts (SA/TB) with optional third voice, often a soprano descant, at climaxes in various sections. Music directors agree that the simple choral arranging makes this a setting appropriate for parishes that do not have the musical “forces†to sing many of the more vocally complex Mass settings. Mass of Redemption brings the choir, musicians, and assembly together in a symphony of praise and thanksgiving for the great gift of redemption in Christ—a wonderful setting to raise hearts and voices to God at Sunday Mass. Join the hundreds of parishes that have made Mass of Redemption a musical staple and a reliable setting of the Mass. Parishes simply never grow weary of singing this setting!  Highlights: Highly popular among parishes before the implementation of new texts, now even more widely used! Written in the key of D major, bringing jubilance to the celebration of Mass. A variety of options for instrumentation with simple choral arrangements—ideal for smaller choirs. A delightful setting for the Christmas and Easter seasons and ideal for Sundays during Ordinary Time.  .
