LOGISTICS:

Your sheet music is an edition of this Victoria motet, meaning that the meter and key signatures, barlines, and dynamic markings, etc. have been supplied by the editor. It is an okay edition, but we will be bypassing some of the editorial additions. This will be your first number on the October 15th concert. It will be sung from memory. It will likely be sung off the risers "in the round."

STYLE:

This type of Renaissance music requires great attention to line. Although the vertical sonorities are lovely, the subtleties of each horizontal voice part are primary. Each phrase in each voice must be sung with direction, i.e., every pitch is not sung with the same intensity or weight. Rather, certain notes, generally associated with the key word of the phrase text, should be allowed to shine elegantly, while others supply momentum to and away from those notes. Even the last notes of phrases should not have a quality of absolute finality, but a sense of providing a springboard for the next entrance.
Singing this kind of music requires much use of the lighter, head voice mechanism, especially when singing lower pitches. Vibrato rate and extent should be more narrow than in some other styles.

"MEASURE" NUMBERS:

Since the editor has added barlines, we may as well make use of them to find our place in rehearsal. Number consecutively the measures of your score, 1-23.

INTONATION:

The accidentals G#, Bb, C# and their naturals ("musica ficta") should be penciled in each time they occur in the same "measure" of your voice line. Resulting whole and half-step intervals must be scrupiously observed.

There are numerous instances of descending phrases and repeated tones in this composition. Descending phrases require thinking much smaller steps (and bigtime use of the "inner smile") than ascending ones. Sustained tones on the same pitch likewise require thinking of gradual movement upward. Pencil in smile faces above repeated tones of more than a half note's duration and above descending passages of more than two pitches.

DICTION:

Ecclesiatical Latin (Roman usage) has only 5 vowel sounds: a; e (also spelled ae, oe); i (also spelled y); o, and u. They are pronounced as follows:

a = ah
e = eh (not aye)
i = ee (not ih)
o = aw (similar to "bought," not "boat")
u = oo

Pencil in your score the appropriate vowel sound (ah, eh, ee, aw, oo) above each vowel in the text.

"j" is one of three glides in Latin. In words such as "jubilate" and "ejus" it represents a quick "ee" glide before the primary "oo" vowel, much as in the English word "you." In words like "Jesu" it represents a quick "ee" before the primary "eh" vowel.

"c" is soft in Latin when preceded by "i". The soft "c" sound is similar to the "ch" in the English word "church." Mark this soft "ch" sound where appropriate in your score, e.g., "dulcis."

"ti" followed by a vowel and preceded by any letter except s, t, or x is pronounced similarly to "tzee." Pencil this sound in over appropriate words in your score, e.g., "presentia."

"s" alone always receives the unvoiced "s" sound, never Z. e.g., "Jesu." Mark this in your score so that you don't sing "Jay-zoo"

There are no diphthongs pronounced as such in Latin. Each vowel sounds clearly without the glide-off effect of English or Italian. Note this rule especially in regard to "gaudia": gah-oo-dee-ah.

"c" is hard (like the English "k") when preceding a, o, u, or consonants. Pencil in the correct consonant sound of "c" in "cordis".

The Latin "r" is rolled. Pencil this in for words such as "memoria," "vera," "praesentia."

For more thorough descriptions of Ecclesiastical Latin (Roman usage), see these links: Pronunciation of Church Latin and the Diction Domain

PHRASING:

Sopranos: Ignore/cross out the breath mark in measure 3 before "memoria". There will be a slight lift or Luftpause there instead. You may pencil in "lp" to so indicate. Likewise cross out the breath preceding "gaudia" in measure 7. Also cross out the breath mark separating "dulcis" and "praesentia" at the end of measure 19.

Altos: Ignore/cross out the breath mark in measure 2 preceding "dulcis". Likewise cross out the breath marks in measure 6 before "cordis" and in meassure 7 before "gaudia." Make a note to stagger breath on that phrase.

Tenors: Ignore/cross out the breath mark in measure 2 preceding "memoria." There will be a slight lift or Luftpause there instead. Likewise cross out the breath mark in measure 7 before "gaudia." Make a note to stagger breath on that phrase.

Basses: Ignore/cross out the breath mark in measure 21 preceding "praesentia". There will be a slight lift or Luftpause there instead. Make a note to stagger breath on that long phrase.

Sopranos and Basses: There will be the slightest of ritards at the breath mark before "Dans" in measure 4. Draw a vertical dotted line between your notes there and sketch in a pair of eyeglasses or similar reminder to watch for your cue there.

Sopranos and Tenors: There will be the slightest of ritards at the breath mark before "gau-" in measure 8. Draw a vertical dotted line between your notes there and sketch in a pair of eyeglasses or similar reminder to watch for your cue there.

Altos and Tenors: Draw a horizontal line after your half-note at the end of measure 4 to indicate that you sustain the pitch all the way to the breath.

Sopranos, Tenors, and Basses: Mark a cut off for the very end of beat 4 in measure 11.

All Parts: Underline the syllable "-mo" in the phrase "Jesu dulcis memoria". That will be the high point of the phrase. Underline the syllable "gau-" in the phrase "Dans vera cordis gaudia" for the same reason. Underline the syllable "o-" in "Sed super melet omnia." Underline the syllable "-sen" in the phrase "Ejus dulcis praesentia."

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You may click here at any point during your score-marking process to hear how your part fits in, and to practice singing your part in conjunction with other parts .

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