The Festival happened on 3/11/2023 and the video can be watched at this link.

Preparation files:

---

PC#1 (#1 is the program order) : Miserere Nostri Domine (Thomas Ravenscroft 1588-1635)

Rhythm only (***):

First line louder (Voice I ***)

Download Music Miserere Nostri (square notes), Jesu Joy (square notes) and Lord, who throughout these forty days (modern)

Voice II louder:

Voice III louder:

ALL VOICES together:

PC# 2 : Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (JS Bach)

Recording (soprano voice ***)

Accompaniment alone – recording:

PC#3 : Lord, who throughout these forty days (Entrance Hymn)

PC#4 Kyrie

Kyriale – Orbis Factor (Mass XI)

PC#5 Gospel Acclamation

Link to practice video (in which the composer uses a different, humorous text, for the verse sung by the cantor.)

Practice recording (with text for March 11):

PC# 6 : O God of Mercy (Cherubini)

Recording of voice 1 (***):

Recording of voice 2:

Recording of Voice 3:

Recording of all 3 voices:

Recording of accompaniment alone:

DECEMBER Exercise = ON THE BELOW SHEET MUSIC FOR “O GOD OF MERCY”, HIGHLIGHT THE WORDS AS INDICATED : Blue, Green or Red

IF THE COPY YOU COLOR YOURSELF IS NOT USEABLE, PRINT AND USE THE BELOW (ALREADY COLORED)

PC #7 : Sanctus (XVIII)

PC# 8 : Memorial Acclamation (Proulx)

Memorial Acclamation modern with accompaniment:

Print music for Memorial Acclamation + Amen (square notes and modern notation) :

PC# 9: “Great Amen” with descant (Proulx)

Descant:

PC# 10: The Lord’s Prayer:

PC#11: Agnus Dei (Mass XI)

Kyriale – Orbis Factor (Mass XI)

PC# 12 : Whosoever drinks the water that I shall offer (Communion antiphon 1)

Recording:

PC#13 : Ave Maria by Carlos Zapién (Communion Hymn 2)

Voice 1 in square notes (download):

Alto part in square notes:

Voice 1 recording:

Voice 2 Recording :

Voice 1+ 2 Recording:

Accompaniment alone recording:

PC# 14 : Let us Magnify His name (Recessional) – Recording

Download Music sheet isn square notes:

---

TO REMEMBER FROM THE 11/22 REHEARSAL:

• We have marked the DO and FA with GREEN and RED to differentiate them from other notes because the DO and FA tell us where the 1/2 steps are. The 1/2 steps are “under” the DO, between Si and Do, and “under” the FA (between Mi and Fa).
• The 1/2 steps tell us where the MINOR intervals are (Minor 2nd, Minor 3rd) so we can easily recognize the correct intervals when we sing.
• The “Circle of Fifths” helps us to locate easily the DO and the FA (and the 1/2 steps) in modern notation, no matter how many Flats (♭) or Sharps (#) are in the key signature.
• Rote memorization is sufficient to sing the Mass (a-cappella and rhythmed by words), but will not be sufficient to sing polyphony with other choirs in March. In December, we will practice recognizing the intervals we sing.

OUR 4-MONTH “ROADMAP”, CURRICULUM AND MUSIC PROGRAM (download):

HOMEWORK TO BE DONE BEFORE THE NEXT REHEARSAL (Tentative date: December 1st or December 5th)

1- LISTEN to the recordings below of the music we will work on first (Music Marked with *** ): Miserere Domine (melody only, no parts), O God of Mercy (melody only, no parts), Jesu Joy of Man’s desiring (listen to accompaniment and melody), Great Amen (listen to both melody and descant), Ave Maria (in Spanish, listen), Let us Magnify His Name (listen), Lord who throughout these forty days (listen).

2- on the same “November exercise” sheet distributed at the 11/13 mass (can be dowloaded below):

• write the notes under the Modern Notation version for melody 1 to melody 6.
• Identify the MINOR 2nd and MINOR 3rd intervals in all these melodies.

3- On the GOD OF MERCY “modern notation” Sheet (distributed 11/22, can be downloaded at link), color the words in BLUE, RED or GREEN as indicated

4- on the God of Mercy “square note (already colored blue, red and green)” , on First page only, identify the MINOR 2nd and the MINOR 3rd.

Recordings to accompany Exercise 1:

Melody 1:

Melody 2:

Melody 3:

Melody 4:

Melody 5:

Melody 6:

ARCHIVES : HOMEWORK

• Practice singing Miserere Nostri Domine, O God of Mercy and Jesu Joy of Man’s desiring with the recordings
• Use the square notes on O God of Mercy: notice the change in intervals. Examples: the first “God of Mercy” is on MI-DO-LA-FA, which is M3-m3-M3, but “God of Compas…” at the beginning of the red section is SO-MI-DO-LA, which is m3-M3-m3. At the beginning of the green section, on “God of compas..” we are back to MI-DO-LA-FA (M3-m3-M3). Also in the red section, notice how the first “look on your…” climbs on SO-TI-RE (M3-m3), while the second one climbs on SO-DO and MI (P4-M3). Spend some time practicing the difference between SO-TI (M3) and SO-DO (P4). “O God of Mercy” is a wonderful piece to recognize and practice intervals. Take some time to do so.
• On Miserere Nostri and Jesu Joy of Man’s desiring, use alternately the modern notation sheet and the square note one as you listen. Write down any question you have on the signs and symbols in the modern notation sheet. We will answer your questions at the next rehearsal.
• HARMONY: on Miserere Nostri Domine, great work singing with two voices last Thursday!! Continue practice this. If you can meet with another choir member, try singing both the second and third voices against the recording of the first voice (not yet on O God of Mercy. We will get there next time).
• For the Ave Maria (in Spanish), the “Let us always…” pieces: listen to the recording while following the rhythm on the music sheet in square notes (count aloud if possible). Once you have done this 3 times, listen and follow along using the MODERN NOTATION sheet, write down questions you have on reading the signs and symbols on the modern notation sheet. DO NOT SING ALONG (yet)..
• Listen at least once to the other pieces: Amen, Memorial Acclamation, Whosoever drinks, Lord who throughout these 40 days,…
• IMPORTANT: at least once every 3 days, try one of the EAR TRAINING EXERCISES on the video at this link, as demonstrated in rehearsal. REMINDER: to sing most sacred music, you really need to learn only 7 intervals (m2, M2, m3, M3, P4, P5 and P8). By using these videos, you can learn these intervals in less than 2 months!!!

In short: we are spending December and January making sure that we can sing the the Pueri Cantores repertoire by consciously applying our voices and minds to the music. Not just learning by rote. In February, rote will be added to our “conscious learning” to sing beautiful harmonies. Learning by rote only would not allow these harmonies.