Yet another chant (no. 4)

I made this chant on my way to bed, between washing my face and brushing my teeth, so to speak. I had been hearing the acoustics of a large mediaeval chruch in my head all day. Even when my wife spoke to me, I would mentally "translate" every sound her mouth made into this wide, disperse cathedral sound. From this image the need for the perfect chant arose, the chant that would fill a cathedral with beautiful sound. And what other psalm is more suitable for this than psalm 23? Yes, I know, everybody wants to set music to psalm 23, and for that reason I should avoid it, but how can I when the choice is so obvious?

As always, you'll find my new chant at the Organ Amateur Page by clicking "Music" and "Music by me". You can also access the music here.

New Chant

And suddenly, there was a chant! I guess all the chanting I mentioned in my last post have inspired me. When it comes to composing rules I have broken almost every rule there is. I have parallel fifths, parallel octaves, soprano part suggest a G minor ending (while it is G major), and Bach would certainly never used the modulations I have used. On top of this the first half of the soprano part is almost equal to the Evening Hymn by Balfour-Gardiner. Shouldn't I have known better? How can this be any good? The fact is that I think it is. When you put words to it, the music gets a whole new meaning because Anglican chanting is driven by the words. Try it together with e.g. psalm 7 (with the RSCM pointing), and you'll see what I mean.

You'll find my new chant at the Organ Amateur Page by clicking "Music" and "Music by me". You can also access the music here.

Anglican perfection...

Since the arrival of 2007 I've been playing and singing the psalms for each evening as set by The Parish Psalter (RSCM 1989 version) with chants mainly from the RSCM Chant Book (1981). As a guidance to tasteful accompaniment I've been using Church Organ Accompaniment by Marmaduke P. Conway (Canterbury Press 1952). Though I've been using my reed organ at home, I have tried to adapt the pipe organ characteristics.

I had almost forgot how wonderful Anglican chanting really is. This is the very essence of Anglican church music and worship combined. One can not really put a price on a well performed psalm, because it is such a wonderful and important element of Anglican worship. At the same time there is nothing more horrible than a psalm that doesn't follow the rythm of speach, and with a organ that does not allow the choir to bring forth the message of the spalm.

The church musician who does not grasp the concept of Anglican chanting is missing out on a very important dimension, I believe.