Despite having the most ridiculous schedule since, well, the last post, I have had a number of fairly successful improvisations. This one is from a recent visit to Paris where I was given opportunity to improvise at Notre-Dame-d’Auteuil. Duquesne University hosted a tour through Paris, visiting all the wonderful churches and instruments found there. The theme is a 12 tone series written by one of the students, Jacob Temple. What made this particularly fun was the fact that Ann Labounsky and I improvised back to back on the theme. I’ve included both improvisations as it’s really interesting to see how we both treated the theme very differently. (I want to add that I was playing in my street shoes – when in France, do as the French do!)
Author: Benjamin Cornelius-Bates
Improvisation: Liturgical
While it may be the Lenten season, that hasn’t stopped me from improvising at the Monday Novena Masses at the Monastery. This week, the Feast of St. Gabriel, one of the principle saints of the Passionists, is happening. The Monastery celebrates it in anticipation at the Monday Novena Masses, which means I get to pull out my Libre Usualis. Hooray! There are some really nice chants and while I don’t have it in front of me, I know the antiphon is about the Passion of Christ. Fitting for a Passionist Saint!
Composition: Sacred Choral
One of my major projects I plan on undertaking is to write an entire set of Choral Offertory and Communion Propers for the Church Year. Nothing like the old Renaissance polyphonic settings, but short, moderately easy pieces that include the Latin incepit and the English translation. And hopefully INTERESTING. The hard part about a project like this is making all the pieces stand as uniquely as they can. I will certainly admit that much of what I do can all sound the same after a while, but that is the challenge of the composer! This piece comes from the Gospel of John, Chapter 6: the Bread of Life discourse.
Improvisation: Liturgical
Wow! After a weekend (3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time) of lackluster improvs, I did these for the vigil Mass on February 2nd. One of the funky things that comes with improvising frequently is the engagement factor: somedays you’ve got it, some days you don’t. I’m also fairly partial to these chants. And as I do this with more frequency, the chants become much more familiar (or at the parts of the chants that I use). Enjoy!
Improvisation: Liturgical
Ah, the Ordinary Time. I really enjoy these particular chants. On a rather humorous note, I did some excellent improvs (better than the ones in today’s video) all because Sr. Agatha Ozah showed up to Mass. I told her following the Mass, “Well, I figured that since you showed up to Mass, I better show off.” Sr. Agatha is quite the chant scholar, so she very much enjoyed hearing the chants improvised upon. Nothing particular to note about these improvisations, except that I have a rather long reach with my hands.
Composition: Sacred Choral and Organ
Today’s post is actually a back to back comparison of two pieces based on the Huron Carol, aka ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime. Denis Bédard, my former teacher, wrote a wonderful little setting of it for the organ. I always thought that it would sound great as a choral piece, by that I mean, Denis’ setting morphed into a choral piece. So when the English translation of the carol came into public domain, I wrote a choral version of the piece with a Denis sound in mind. Granted it has a few of my favorite tricks, but there are some egregious Bédard sounds that I put into the work. Good composers borrow, great composers steal!
Denis Bédard’s Noël Huron:
My choral setting of ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime
Improvisation: Liturgical
It’s been a while since I’ve posted! I had to listen to about 60 juries between Duquesne and CCAC (Community College of Allegheny County), which is A LOT. Add to that Christmas and all that goes along with the planning and preparation (plus a little down time) has left me with not following up on posting videos. Well, here’s something from today’s Mass. As an interesting point about improvising, it takes a certain kind of memory to remember what textures you have done in order to bring it back later. Much practicing is involved in that, just like anything else!
Composition: Organ
I have to admit, right from the get-go, that I wasn’t sure this piece worked as an entirety. BUT, after hearing Dr. Nancy Cooper, my former teacher and the dedicatee, I am very happy about the results. In fact, she told me that several other professors said that the last movement could be longer and I am in agreement (though it might take me a bit in getting to adding to that last movement). And there it is, the piece in all it’s glory. Enjoy the premier of the Partita!
Improvisation: Liturgical
Happy Thanksgiving! This little improvisation comes from the vigil Mass on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and it is always one of my favorite Masses to play. During the Offertory, people bring up goods for the food bank that the Monastery runs, which is always great. The closing hymn is of course THE standard Catholic hymn and I thought a Toccata would be most appropriate. It’s not my best toccata, it took a bit to get it going, but I think it’s quite a bit of fun.
Improvisation: Liturgical
It’s, again, been a while since I’ve posted something. Many apologies. Teaching really takes much of my time. It was worth the wait! I’m here to post a rather exciting improvisation from the CMAA and Duquesne University’s Charles Tournemire Symposium. The Symposium focused on improvisation and I was given the opportunity to play for the Monday daily Mass for 15 MINTUES. Epic. Especially since the chapel organ leaves something to be desired. But that is the challenge of the musician, to make the instrument sing as best as it can. Enjoy this rather lengthy improvisation.