I'm really interested in Latin church music and Gregorian chant etc, and wanted to read a book about it all...I have no idea which books might be best to read, and wondered if any of you knowledgable folk would be able to recommend anything?

Thanks in advance!

There is a 'Companion to Medieval (sic) and Renaissance Music' edited by Tess Knighton and David Fallows which is a series of essays on history, music and society, form and style, genres and performance. ISBN 0-520-21081-6. It looks a bit on the heavy side and I haven't read it yet but will be taking it on holiday to have a look through.

Do you sing polyphony with a group at present? If not, do find one and get going! It's a wonderful way to get into that 'world' and to learn about it. By learning to sing it, you really become familiar with the intricacies. I have found that singing polyphony is completely different from listening only. And it's a different animal from a lot of later choral music. I found it difficult at first, but once I became used to it, my appreciation of it grew enormously through having to be aware of all the other parts and knowing exactly where your own fits in.

I hope you too will have a good deal of pleasure from learning about it.

Thank you very much for your suggestion, and the ISBN no. - I'll look for it online

No I'm not currently in any group that sings polyphony, but I'll definitely have a look for one as it sounds like a good idea And if I can't find one I'll have to start one up when I go to uni (hopefully!!) in just over a year!!

Laura

What a good idea. Yes, set one up. You could start with, say, some 4-part motets or shorter pieces from some of the masses. 4-part works are not necessarily easier for the singers than, say, 7-part ones, but for you as the director it might be better. For example, Tallis' motet 'If Ye Love Me' is doable or Byrd's 'Ave verum Corpus' or Farrant 'Call to Remembrance' or 'Hide Not Thou Thy Face'. Then there's the Agnus Dei from Byrd's 4-part mass, which is the most exquisite piece of music I know, although I think in general the 5-part one is actually easier to sing. Byrd also wrote a 3-part mass though I can't vouch for the ease of singing or directing. 'O Magnum Misterium' (Victoria) is also wonderful and you might like his 'O Quam Gloriosum Est'.

Lassus wrote masses as well though I am not so familiar.

Later you could go on to Byrd 'O Lord In Thy Wrath' (5 parts), Gibbons 'O Lord in Thy Wrath' (6 parts), Tallis 'Salvator Mundi' (5 parts) or Palestrina's 'Missa Papae Marcelli' (6 parts, although the Benedictus is in 4), and the Robert White Lamentations (5 parts). Then when you're well into it all, Tallis' Mass 'Puer Natus est Nobis' - 7 parts - glorious - lovely thick velvety texture. Oh joy. Also 'Quemadmodum' (Taverner - 7 parts) - a particular favourite of mine.

Gombert wrote a Requiem - the Agnus Dei is gorgeous but I don't know what it's like to sing.

If you ever have the chance to sing in Spem In Allium (Tallis - 40 parts) you must. It doesn't happen very often.

Well, I'm all fired up now. Can I join in too?!

Wowee! Thanks for all of your suggestions Jatzaya - that's really really helpful I'll get listening to those pieces and see if I can get hold of the music for any!!

I'm excited too, even though I don't think there are any ensembles of this kind in my area, and I won't be able set one up at uni until I go to uni (ie another year!).

I DEFINITELY want to try the 40 part Tallis piece - that sounds like an amazing feat!! We had a big celebration at school when (in the musical we were putting on) we had a part each and did 7 part harmonies hahaha!

Thank you again for your suggestions - sounds like you're a bit of an expert!!

Laura

Heavens, no, not an expert! But keen. I did sing in the Tallis 40-part from scratch once. It has 8 choirs of 5 parts each. We sat in a horseshoe shape and the music started with one part at one 'end' of the horseshoe. Then there were 2 parts. Then the number of parts built up, following on round the horseshoe, and, although individuals weren't doing a crescendo, the volume grew because there were simply more voices joining in. Oh, boy; I'll never forget that.

Your 7 part piece sounds very exciting. It;s much more fun when you're in the middle of it than when you're just listening, don't you think?

If you get stuck finding the scores, do PM me and I'll see what I've got.

Wow that sounds fantastic - how fun that must've been doing the 40 part piece...quite an achievement!! Yes it definitely is much more fun being part of it

Well I've found the 40-part score and a couple of the others...will hopefully find some people willing to try some out with me - probably won't find 40 people though!!

No, the 40-part thing is quite unusual. I gather a chappy called Striggio also wrote a 40-part motet, possibly before Tallis, but I don't know it.

Do let us know how things go.