The CD is here! Order yours now for delivery before Christmas!
The Basilica Choir sings Christmas favorites and new carols on their newest CD on Stemik records including God, We Would Hear the Angels Sing.
Now available on iTunes as well.
The complete list of music follows:
Joy to the World (Isaac Watts/Lowell Mason, after Handel, arr. William Picher)
Hodie Christus Natus Est (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina)
Joseph Lieber, Joseph Mine (Michael Praetorius)
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (Edmund Sears/R.S. Willis, arr. William Picher)
Blessed Be That Maid Marie (Trad. English 17th C., arr. Charles Wood)
Rejoice in the Lord Always (Anon 16th C.)
Gaudete (Anon. 16th c, arr. Brian Kay)
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen (Trad. English, 17th C., arr. William Picher)
O Magnum Mysterium (Tomas Luis de Victoria)
Ave Maris Stella (Trad. Russian, arr. Pavel Chesnokov, adapt. William Picher)
Morris Hudson, guest baritone soloist
Ding Dong Merrily on High (G.R. Woodward, arr. Carolyn Jennings)
As part of the festivities to dedicate the new bronze statue of St. Michael at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, I have been asked to compose a short brass fanfare arrangement and setting of the hymn tune “National Hymn” that will be used for the entrance banner procession. As this is a last minute request, I’m delighted that the project is small in scope. Audio of the piece is now available here.
On Sunday, September 29, a new statue of St. Michael will be dedicated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. Discovering that there would be an additional procession of banners, music director Bill Picher asked if I would make a short fanfare arrangement of the tune “National Hymn’ to provide music for the extra procession. With only a few days to complete the project, I got to work as quick as I could.
Here’s a video from a rehearsal at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen:
Written by request for the choral concert given on May 22, 2011 by William Picher and the Basilica Choir with friends. The choral group for the day contained 16 singers, and Bill was looking for a 16-voice piece. I sat with this request for quite a while before finally settling on this text and the general style of the piece. Most of the piece is written for 8-part choir, but the middle section is a 16 part fugue. The recording below was made at the dress rehearsal prior to the concert.
1. Listen now
Psalm 96: 1-3
Cantate Domino canticum novum:
Cantate Domino omnis terra.
Cantate Domino, benedicite nomini eius:
Adnuntiate diem de die salutare eius.
Purchase of the PDF download includes permission to reprint copies as necessary for performance.
A St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with the Basilica Choir and the Emerald String Quartet
Erin Go Bragh! Hear traditional Irish favorites along with new with a Celtic flavor composed by Robert Kerr.
Wm. Glenn Osborne, organist
Dr. William Picher, director
A St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with the Basilica Choir and the Emerald String Quartet
Erin Go Bragh! Hear traditional Irish favorites along with new with a Celtic flavor composed by Robert Kerr.
Wm. Glenn Osborne, organist
Dr. William Picher, director
Tickets $10
One of the difficulties in using a historical musical setting of the Latin Mass in the Novus Ordo is the lack of Memorial Acclamation and Amen. With only two syllables, it’s usually pretty easy to do some text replacement and derive an Amen from material in other movements. It may even be possible to simply use the amen found at the end of the Gloria or Credo as a stand alone Eucharistic acclamation. The Memorial Acclamation, regardless of the text option chosen, proves a much tougher challenge.
For the Choral Mass on February 22, 2013, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, Dr. William Picher gave me the task of creating something for him to use alongside Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli. While I initially wrote something for the SATTBB voicing that Palestrina uses, I forgot that this was to be a Latin Mass and set the English response “Save Us, Savior of the World.” Mea culpa. As six contrapuntal voices seemed a bit of a stretch for me in the limited time I had to prepare the piece, when I started over again with the equivalent Latin text, I opted for the more traditional (and perhaps more useful) SATB voicing.
I hope to have a recording of live singers performing the piece after February 22. In the meantime, the music notation program Finale has provided this rendering:
1. Listen now
Salvator mundi, salva nos, qui per crucem et resurrectionem tuam liberasti nos.
Lord, by your cross and resurrection you have set us free. You are the Savior of the world.
This recording by the Basilica Choir and William Picher includes my composition Salve Regina. The piece was written specifically for them, and I was delighted that they chose to include it on their recording.
The CD is available for sale for $15 plus shipping and handling. It is also available at iTunes for immediate download here. This is the complete track list:
Haec Dies (William Byrd)
O Bone Jesu (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina)
Verbum Caro Factus Est (Hans Leo Hassler)
Alma Redemptoris Mater (Palestrina)
Regina Caeli Laetare (Antonio Lotti)
Riu, Riu, Chiu (Anon. Spanish)
Exsultate Deo (Palestrina)
I See His Blood Upon the Rose (Michael Bedford)
At the Cross Her Station Keeping (13th cent., arr. Richard Proulx)
Were You There? (Spiritual, arr. Harry T. Burleigh)
Gabriel’s Message (Basque Carol, arr. Jonathan Rathbone)
Experience Palestrina’s sublime a cappella choral masterpiece, “Missa Papae Marcelli” in the context of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Also includes the premier of two new compositions in the style of Palestrina- a setting of Psalm 23 and Salvator Mundi– by Wm. Glenn Osborne who will serve as organist for the celebration. Bishop John Noonan will preside.
The Basilica Choir under the direction of William Picher.
All are welcome, no tickets required.
The Basilica’s annual celebration of Advent and Christmas music featuring favorites for choir and orchestra. And don’t forget the sing-along! This is the most popular Basilica concert, so come early for the best seats. Preceeding the concert at 5:30 p.m. will be an open house at the Basilica Gift Shop and Museum, with complimentary refreshments.
Wm. Glenn Osborne, organist
William Picher, conductor
The CD is here! Order yours now for delivery before Christmas!
