for cantor, congregation, choir and organ
Music Text Setting of Catholic Mass (E)
World Premiere3/25/1997
Good Shepherd Cathedral, Ayr
Congregation of Good Shepherd Cathedral
Repertoire Note
Choral level of difficulty:
1 (5 greatest)
The movements set are
Kyrie,
Gloria,
Sanctus and
Benedictus (together),
Acclamation and
Agnus Dei. With the inclusion of a
Gloria this is a more extended setting than the
St Anne’s Mass, and the cantor or choir have an integral part which alternates with the congregational part. Sometimes this involves singing the congregation’s phrase before they sing it themselves. In the
Gloria, MacMillan cleverly gives the congregation only one phrase to sing throughout, which is the initial one repeated at key points. It is a novel way of setting the
Gloria and is certainly effective, underlining the joyful nature of the text. The choral parts are simple (only the
Kyrie and
Gloria have harmony). The
Sanctus and
Benedictus,
Acclamations and
Agnus Dei are all in unison until the very end where MacMillan writes a brief choral ending for the
Dona nobis pacem (which is given in English first).
Repertoire note by Paul SpicerMore on this Composer
