This article was written for the April 2024 issue of our parish magazine:
Lent is over, we have celebrated the resurrection of our Lord, and the Easter season is in full swing. Thus it makes perfect sense to continue my series on Communion Settings with the Gloria.
The Gloria is a celebratory statement of love and worship, usually sung (in the UK) in Latin or English:
| Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory, Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, With the Holy Spirit, In the glory of God the Father. Amen. |
Glória in excélsis Deo et in terra pax homínibus bonæ voluntátis. Laudámus te, benedícimus te, adorámus te, glorificámus te, grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam glóriam tuam, Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis, Deus Pater omnípotens. Dómine Fili Unigénite, Iesu Christe, Quóniam tu solus Sanctus, |
The setting used at St Margaret’s was written by Maurice Greening, and regular attenders will see that the words in the opening paragraph have been rearranged in that setting. If you’re unsure how it goes, there is a recording on the website, here: https://stmargaretsprestwich.com/music-at-st-margarets/
There are so many other settings of these words, some fully orchestrated, some using folk tunes, some ancient, some contemporary. Here are a few examples:
- “The Armed Man: a mass for peace” (Karl Jenkins) doesn’t have a Gloria, but here’s his Gloria te Deum, performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si-p_JF95oA
- Five-part Mass (William Byrd) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTOSg2hqS5I
- Mass in Blue (Will Todd) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C5R60gqMe0
- Missa Brevis (Jonathan Dove) I was introduced to this gorgeous contemporary communion setting in May 2023. It had been set as repertoire for that summer’s Sing for Pleasure Advanced conductor training weekend. Each student was allocated a movement, except for the Gloria, which is so long that it was split between two students. I had the first half. It’s challenging music! Musicians reading this will know that ordinarily a composer picks a time signature and sticks with it. Not Jonathan Dove in this movement! Each bar alternated between 34 and 44 with rapid fire Latin text to enunciate clearly. Tom was incredibly generous with his time and piano skills, and patiently played my half of the Gloria whilst I practiced conducting a silent and imaginary choir ahead of the training weekend. All the hard work was worth it though. Here are last June’s Advanced students singing the Dove Gloria, on less than two hours rehearsal spread over two days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTZCXwe0kaA alternatively, here is the 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church Virtual Choir singing this music back in lockdown, likely with lots more rehearsal time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdIfe9vERCA
- Missa Brevis in D (Mozart) This mass setting was the repertoire for my group of conducting students at the 2023 Sing for Pleasure summer school. Here is the Gloria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPG1QQ_vJ_Q
- Jazz Mass (Don Gillthorpe) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm5QkG9vbxA Sacred music can be written in any style, and this Jazz Missa Brevis was composed by a Sing for Pleasure tutor, whilst recovering from spinal surgery. He and fellow tutors Ula Weber and Louise Ellison take the solos in this movement.
- Little Organ Mass (Haydn) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GO3WjU_cR4
- Taize chants: there are many of these, here’s here’s “Gloria, Gloria” (canon) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uicBdKwA1hA
Next month we’ll move onto the Credo, or creed.
Carol P
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 