Vexilla Regis

Written by Venantius Fortunatus (530-609), Vexilla Regis is one of the great chant hymns of the church. Appropriately sung at vespers from Passion Sunday until Holy Thursday, on the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross and even on Good Friday, the hymn was originally written to celebrate the arrival of a large relic of the True Cross in Poitiers, France.

In the French Classical tradition when singing hymns, the organ alternated verses with the choir. Having always enjoyed the sounds of the French Classical organs, when I had the opportunity to play a recital at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Albany, NY on Palm Sunday, I decided to write a suite for organ on this great hymn of the cross. The suite contains six movements and uses traditional tonal language and registrations of the period.

Vexilla Regis

  1. Plein jeu
  2. Duo
  3. Récit de voix humaine
  4. Basse de trompette
  5. Tierce en Taille
  6. Grand jeu
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Regina Caeli

Regina caeli laetare, Alleluia,
Quia quem meruisti portare. Alleluia,
Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum. Alleluia.

Intended for use during the Easter Season, this is the second Marian antiphon I set for SSAATTBB choir. The traditional chant melody is cast in a modern tonal language. A piano reduction of the SSAATTBB piece provided in the score for rehearsals. The audio below was generated by the Finale music notation program.

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Ave Regina Coelorum

Ave Regina caelorum,
Ave Domina angelorum,
Salve radix, salve porta,
Ex qua mundo lux est orta.

Gaude Virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa;
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

Intended for use during the Lenten Season, this is the third of the four Marian antiphons I set for SSAATTBB choir. The traditional chant melody is cast in a modern tonal language. A piano reduction of the SSAATTBB piece provided in the score for rehearsals. The audio below was generated by the Finale music notation program.

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Alma Redemptoris Mater

Alma Redemptoris Mater,
Quae pervia caeli porta manes,
Et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
Surgere qui curat, populo:
Tu quae genuisti, natura mirante,
tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius,
Gabrielis ab ore, sumens illud Ave,
peccatorum miserere.

Intended for use during the season of Advent, this is the fourth Marian antiphon I set for SSAATTBB choir. The traditional chant melody is cast in a modern tonal language. A piano reduction of the SSAATTBB piece provided in the score for rehearsals. The audio below was generated by the Finale music notation program.

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See a Baby!

A Christmas carol for young voices (SAT) with lyrics by John Dalles. Based on the familiar tune HOLY MANNA. The audio below was generated by the Finale music notation program.

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Salve Regina for SSAATTBB Choir

Written for Bill Picher and the professional choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando, FL, this setting of Salve Regina presents the traditional chant melody in a modern tonal language. While intended to be performed a cappella, there is a reduction of the SSAATTBB piece provided in the score for rehearsals. As the most popular and well-known Marian antiphon, this is the first of a set of four Marian antiphons that I composed.

The Basilica Choir included the piece on its most recent album “A Cappella Magic” which is available here or as a download from iTunes! You can now also hear the piece on Spotify.