August 15th - a National Holiday

[S_L]

The Assumption of Mary into heaven, here in France, is celebrated as a national holiday. The French go to Mass and statues of the Blessed Virgin are processed through the streets of cities, towns and villages. In our village, in the evening, we also have a firework display. 

In the morning, of the 15th, I have to play the organ for a celebration of Mass in a large Cistercian monastery. I play there quite a lot. and I am usually asked to provide some music at the offertory of the Mass, about two minutes worth, and a shortish Sortie at the end (the congregation will sit and listen!) If I can, I like to provide music appropriate to the celebration. It is rather short notice but I'd be grateful for any suggestions forumites may have for music appropriate to the Liturgy of the day. The organ is a 'classical' two manual and, as it says in my profile, I consider myself a poor ARCO standard - so nothing too difficult!!!  

[sbarber49]

I don't know much about music for the Assumption, but there are some good pieces based on Marian plainsong in the Nibelle's collection of 50 pieces here (go to collections):

https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Nibelle%2C_Henri

The final piece - Ave maris stella ends with a short toccata which sounds more difficult than it is (though my small hands don't like the stretches).

There are quiet pieces: Ave maris stella, Ave Maria and Salve Regina among the Offertoires and Communions.

 

Of course there are the Ave maris stella pieces in Dupré's Vespers: https://imslp.org/wiki/Vêpres_du_commun_des_fêtes_de_la_Sainte_Vierge%2C_Op.18_

And his beautifu, simplel Salve Regina (a favourite of mine): https://imslp.org/wiki/8_Short_Preludes_on_Gregorian_Themes%2C_Op.45_(Dupré%2C_Marcel)

These are all copyright, of course, but easily available.

[S_L]

Thank you.

[Rowland Wateridge]

If this is any guidance, according to the London Oratory music lists these by Bach will be played there at Mass on the 15th:

Prelude:    Meine Seele erheb’t den Herren, BWV 648

Postlude:  Fugue on the Magnificat, BWV 733

For music from France there are works specific to the Feast by Tournemire in L’Orgue Mystique and, interestingly, Alexandre Guilmant: Postlude for the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin on the hymn "Induant justitiam" (sorry that I don’t readily have source references and I can’t immediately lay hands on the YouTube recording of the Tournemire).

[S_L]

Rowland. It never occurred to me to look at one of the Oratory music lists. And there is Birmingham, York and Oxford too. I'll look at the Guilmant but I suspect it is 'too big' (or too difficult!) for the instrument (and me!!!). I can't find a score of the Tournemire but I'll search.

Many thanks

[John Furse]

Decades ago, I happened to be in Santiago de Compostela on this date. There was a stupendous High Mass in the morning, when I was able to witness the group of Thurifers manipulating the Botafumeiro (their famous Thurible: Botafumeiro - Wikipedia). It did look a tad dangerous and I stayed well clear.

The concluding Voluntary was a slightly bizarre rendition of 'The' D minor Toccata – with ‘amplifications’. Until now, I’d happily forgotten this !

[Colin Pykett]

36 minutes ago, John Furse said:

Decades ago, I happened to be in Santiago de Compostela on this date. There was a stupendous High Mass in the morning, when I was able to witness the group of Thurifers manipulating the Botafumeiro (their famous Thurible: Botafumeiro - Wikipedia). It did look a tad dangerous and I stayed well clear.

And don't even think about what such things do to the organ ...  And also to people - I was told by a doctor that she sometimes sees patients who have an allergy to certain types of incense.  She could not quite pin it down scientifically, but said that it most likely affected those who reacted to benzoic acid.  This was during a consultation when I presented with an awful rash which had developed overnight after visiting a certain cathedral.  She said she had never seen such a well-developed case of urticaria - otherwise known colloquially as hives or nettle rash - and she took a picture of it.  It did not take her long to enquire whether I was a churchgoer.  She certainly knew her stuff.  The malady took upwards of a painful week to disappear incidentally.

So although I had thoroughly enjoyed playing their beautiful Hill organ, subsequent events were less pleasant.  (And to prevent upsetting anyone, please note that although I have described a correlation between visiting this cathedral and developing the condition, I am not implying causation).

[sjf1967]

On 03/08/2024 at 05:13, S_L said:

The Assumption of Mary into heaven, here in France, is celebrated as a national holiday. The French go to Mass and statues of the Blessed Virgin are processed through the streets of cities, towns and villages. In our village, in the evening, we also have a firework display. 

In the morning, of the 15th, I have to play the organ for a celebration of Mass in a large Cistercian monastery. I play there quite a lot. and I am usually asked to provide some music at the offertory of the Mass, about two minutes worth, and a shortish Sortie at the end (the congregation will sit and listen!) If I can, I like to provide music appropriate to the celebration. It is rather short notice but I'd be grateful for any suggestions forumites may have for music appropriate to the Liturgy of the day. The organ is a 'classical' two manual and, as it says in my profile, I consider myself a poor ARCO standard - so nothing too difficult!!!  

If you stretch a theological point somewhat some of these might be useful - https://ks15.imslp.org/files/imglnks/usimg/3/36/IMSLP04777-ChaussonOp31Vepres.pdf

There's a very lovely Paraphrase on Salve Regina in the Langlais 24 pieces.  The Grand Jeu from de Grigny Ave Maris could be worth a look? Probably some Titelouze too.

[sjf1967]

Also an Ave Maris Stella in the Tombeaue de Titelouze.

[S_L]

Thank you for all the suggestions - and the reminiscences! 

In my village we shall celebrate with an Sung anticipatory Mass, outside - sans encens!! After Mass, possibly, the most hideous statue of the Virgin Mary will be processed through the village. And, later on in the evening, there will be a firework display on the lake next to my house. I think I am playing the organ (?) for that Mass. The next morning I am playing at a Cistercian monastery where the Nuns are singing, in French, a Mass setting I wrote. There will be incense and, where the organ is situated, i will get the full effect of it! Luckily I am not allergic!!

As to reminiscences. I was in Paris one year for Our Lady's Assumption and went to Vespers at 16h00 at Notre Dame. The cathedral was packed, we had trouble finding a space. At the end of Vespers an enormous silver statue of the Virgin, second only in hideousness to the one in our village, was produced and processed around the Ile de la Cite followed the congregation singing hymns accompanied by the monster at the West End of the Cathedral, with speakers all the way around processional route. On returning to the Place , in front of the west front of the Cathedral,, the procession took nearly two hours, we found an altar had been erected, and Mass was celebrated by the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris again accompanied by the Notre Dame monster! The music was entirely unmemorable but was joined in enthusiastically by the thousands present.

Another year I was in Chartres. Mass at 11h00 in the Cathedral followed by lunch followed by Vespers, again packed out, at a church down the road from the Cathedral. After the Psalms and Readings and before the Magnificat another hideous statue was produced and processed through the city to the Cathedral where we were greeted by a fanfare from the organ and, when the cathedral was full, a rendition of the Magnificat and the rest of Vespers. There was to be an organ recital about an hour later and people sat in the cathedral eating their sandwiches waiting for it. The Titulaire. Patrick Delabre, gave a recital to a full cathedral. 

The French seem to specialize in hideous statues of the Virgin Mary, usually clutching a set of Rosary beads, presumably so that she can pray to herself!!!!

[innate]

On 03/08/2024 at 11:34, sbarber49 said:

I don't know much about music for the Assumption, but there are some good pieces based on Marian plainsong in the Nibelle's collection of 50 pieces here (go to collections): https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Nibelle%2C_Henri The final piece - Ave maris stella ends with a short toccata which sounds more difficult than it is (though my small hands don't like the stretches).There are quiet pieces: Ave maris stella, Ave Maria and Salve Regina among the Offertoires and Communions.

These look great—I’d not heard of Henri Nibelle. Thank you!

[S_L]

 

18 hours ago, innate said:

These look great—I’d not heard of Henri Nibelle. Thank you!

Whilst I hesitate to recommend Wikipedia, there is a short biography of Henri Nibelle on there. Henri Nibelle - Wikipedia

His Carillion Orleanaise and the Toccata that follows it, written 11 years apart, are popular in France. Some of his choral and organ music was written for the church of St. Francois de Sales, in Paris where he was organist and, eventually Chapel Master. Having gone blind he retired in 1959, composed more church music and died in 1967. 

I seem to remember seeing a score of a Mass setting for two organs & choir in the Grand French tradition, rather like the Vierne or the Widor

[S_L]

On 05/08/2024 at 09:10, John Furse said:

Decades ago, I happened to be in Santiago de Compostela on this date. There was a stupendous High Mass in the morning, when I was able to witness the group of Thurifers manipulating the Botafumeiro (their famous Thurible: Botafumeiro - Wikipedia). It did look a tad dangerous and I stayed well clear.

For those who may not have seen it - and, oh dear, the music is just something else!!!

 

[John Furse]

This re-ignited my memories of unease. I almost reeled back from my PC's rather large screen !

It also made me wonder whether wielding a mobile 'phone in camera mode is now part of the High Mass ceremonials.

What would Tomás Luis have said ?

[Colin Pykett]

It elevates passive smoking to an entirely higher plane.  The clip also reminded me of Hoffnung's Bricklayer's Lament, so I was pleased to see that the thurifers had sufficient weight on their end of the rope to prevent a repetition of that saga.

From a physics viewpoint, they were also impulsing the swing of the thurible at about the correct point - as horologists know, a pendulum should be impulsed by its escapement as near to its lowest point as possible if its timekeeping is to be optimised.  According to folklore, Galileo was led to uncover the basic laws of pendulums having observed a swinging censer (in Pisa cathedral IIRC).

[S_L]

On 23/08/2024 at 08:05, John Furse said:

It also made me wonder whether wielding a mobile 'phone in camera mode is now part of the High Mass ceremonials.

The mobile  phone in camera mode has almost become a part of the impedimenta at Mass - for those in the congregation!! In St. Peter's in Rome it is even worse! Pope Francis, at one point, asked them to put them away but it just got worse!!!

[John Furse]

8 minutes ago, S_L said:

The mobile  phone in camera mode has almost become a part of the impedimenta at Mass - for those in the congregation!! In St. Peter's in Rome it is even worse! Pope Francis, at one point, asked them to put them away but it just got worse!!!

They should have been subject to ex(mobile)communication !