Kyrie Eleison

Hi guys!

Started writing church chorals,want to share my Kyrie Eleison with you.Any comments/critics are more than welcome.You could have a listen from here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_r1j_nMYs0

 

Very beautiful indeed ! Maybe a bit static but that is not necessarily wrong for this kind of music.
Are these real voices or is it a synthetic recording ?

 

Hi Victor,

Very good job. This is enjoyable and effective setting. Is this SATB or are there substantial divisions within voices? Is a score available?

As far as the recording, have you thought of presenting it to a local church or school choir to record so that there are live voices? It would present it so much more effectively. I miss clearly hearing the words. Those two phrases (three words in all) "Kyrie eleison" and "Christe eleison" are so ripe with spiritual meaning that I want to be able to dwell on each syllable as they are sung.

My only objection with the writing is that the sopranos seem to be kept so high in their range for so long, and it heads to that high range as it reaches the softest section (which I am assuming is the "Christe"). It seems to be around high G or A for a soprano, which could only be a pitch center for any length of time for the 1st sopranos, 2nd sopranos can usually get there but must come back down. And then soft and high for a soprano is a bit of an oxymoron. Four decent 1st sopranos on that part would cut through of a choir of 80 at forte.

Do you have others from this set?

Scott

 

Hi and thanks for the comments,glad you like it.It is a recording made using a real choir samples.Will look for a real choir to sing it with the lyrics of course.It is a SATB structure,intentionally left the sopranos in the high range,that's how my idea is,the other voices fulfill the lower ranges.Te sopranos go as high as to B flat on the second octave.The classical harmony teaches us that sopranos could go to A on the second octave,but I'm sure that B flat won't be a problem for the sopranos,as they could go higher than that A on the second octave.Working on the other parts now,will submit when happy with them.It'll be a full Mass with the other parts of the Mass as well in latin,Gloria,Credo,Agnus Dei etc.

 

Just be aware that that range greatly increases the difficulty level of the music. There is nothing wrong with difficult music, but obviously it restricts who can perform it. If you don't mind that only a professional choir would be able to perform the piece, there's nothing wrong with asking for lots of As and B flats quietly in the soprano part. If you want it to be accessible to other groups, you might consider modifying the range.

 

I believe it won't be a problem to be performed even from non prefessional choirs.If I change the tonality,or the high notes,it won't sound the same any more.Don't want to touch the sopranos.Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

Hi Victor,

I had a listen to your piece, I enjoyed your piece very much. Your voice leading to my ears was in the classical tradition! This reminds me of the choral music in Chris Marker's "La Jetee." Of course, that music was much more morose.

Btw, you are following a very long tradition of writing "Kyrie Eleison," consider it has been written by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and a number of other famous composers. So you will now join the list!!

Look forward to more of your pieces,

~Riley

 

Thanks for your comment Riley,really appreciate it.Hopefully someday,in 100 years time probably might join that list,who knows

Cheers!