SKU: CA.965500

ISBN 9790007164409. Language: Latin.

For faithful Catholics it is the great mystery, and for those who are not Christian believers it is incomprehensible, possibly even off-putting - the mystery of the Eucharist. As far back as the late medieval period, the verse prayer Ave verum inimitably captures the special atmosphere of the contradiction between a terrible death and the redemption of mankind. Matsushita sets an early version of this prayer for the Eucharist in motet-like ABA form. A floating melody, alternating precisely between major and minor and first sung solo by all four voices in transposition, introduces the piece in a contemplative style. The scale is then altered in the counterpoint to a pure Dorian mode, contrasting in the middle section at the text vere passum, where Matsushita accompanies the increasingly wide-ranging melody and its chromatic, augmented intervals, by increasingly dissonant chordal shifts like a fauxbourdon. From this the tonal high point develops into an almost perfect F major, which then finally picks up on the opening motif for the added lines of text O Jesu dulcis, o Jesu pie... before ebbing away in F major. Voice range: S: des' - fis'' / A:gdeg - d'' / T: cdeg - as' / B: F - c'.

SKU: HL.811415

UPC: 196288087120. 6.75x10.5x0.029 inches. Colossians 3:1-2, Habakkuk 2:20, Psalm 33:8.

The echoes of ancient worshippers are heard in this time-honored text that conveys the mystery and majesty of our faith. A fully engaged choir will luxuriate in the harmonies and choral textures while the orchestral accompaniment provides splendid options for larger scale performances. Score and Parts (fl/pic, ob, cl, bn, tpt 1-3, hn, tbn 1-2, tbn3/tba, perc 1-3, hp, vn 1-2, va, vc, db) available as a digital download.