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March 23, 2010

NOTE: Sound samples and accompaniments now available for order for new and revised Mass settings. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has established the first Sunday of Advent 2012 (Nov. 27, 2011) as the implementation date for the new Order of Mass. More Mass settings will be coming soon.

How does this setting engage parishioners at Mass?
I wanted the music to be accessible to the Body of Christ gathered for worship. I wanted the beauty of the music to lift their hearts. Read more » I wanted the melodies to quickly and easily become like an old friend. I wanted the wedding of text and music to help people through the process of getting used to this new translation. « Hide

What was your inspiration for Mass of Christ the Savior?
My inspiration came from an image. As I set about the task of writing, I found myself thinking of a typical community of Christians celebrating Eucharist on Sunday. Read more » What is happening when we do that each week? Who is doing it? For me, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy from Vatican II explains it this way:

Rightly, then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ... in the liturgy the whole public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and His members. (from Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, paragraph 7)

This primary teaching body of the Church tells us that it is Christ himself, as Head of the Mystical Body, who presides over our Sunday celebration and offers the Body’s praise and thanksgiving to God. For me it moves my soul to imagine that every time we celebrate Mass it is Christ the Savior stands there to pray with us, sing with us, proclaim the scripture with us, give thanks with us, and finally, share the meal of his own body and blood with us. The title Mass of Christ the Savior seemed most appropriate. « Hide

Tell us about the musical elements.
The overarching musical elements that unify this setting are the common chord progression and the similar musical motifs that I’ve used. Read more » Even though the various Mass parts are different in tempo, meter, mood and purpose, these unifying elements help to hold the entire setting together. My hope is that once people get a feel for these common elements, it will be easy for them to learn the various parts because of the interconnectedness between them. « Hide

Can parishes large and small worship with this setting?
I’ve scored the choral parts for SAB choir, not because I have any dislike for traditional SATB scoring, but my experience tells me that many parishes have limited resources and are often missing a strong enough male contingent to effectively sing SATB. Read more » Flowing from my original inspiration, the primary purpose of the choral parts is to enhance and support the singing of the Body of Christ, not for the sake of choral performance.

The arrangement is scored for keyboard (piano or organ), guitar, oboe, cello and two trumpets. It is flexible enough that it can be effective with just guitar, or just keyboard, and without any additional instrumentation. « Hide

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