The dean was very pleased with the choir's performance and asked the parishioners for a warm applause, which came promptly. Also afterwards, several choir members were apparently complimented about the singing.
So Saint Brigid's mass clearly corresponds to Halle's liturgical and popular taste. But how to explain the presence of this Irish composition in St. Gregorius' repertoire? Could it really be down to Seymour's years in Mechelen? Unfortunately, nobody at Halle's oldest choir was able to say how exactly the copy came into their archive.
Of course, Halle is by no means the only place in the world where this score can be found; you can buy a copy at Presto Classical:
As it is obviously under copyright protection I won't post any photos of the score here. If you still want to know what it sounds like, Saint Brigid's mass has a rather simple, canon-like structure. Typically the lower voice starts a theme, which is repeated in a modified version by the higher voice. Overall, the composition sounds quite natural and harmonious.
I seized a rare opportunity to take a look at the cover page of Saint Brigid's mass in what appears to be its original publication (1889), so I'll describe it to you. It is decorated with Brompton-Oratory-style architectural elements, flower motives and human faces. It looks old fashioned, classical, and overly ornamental. The score is dedicated "by permission to the most revered Dr. DONNELLY, Bishop of Canea, honorary president of the Irish Society of St. Cecilia". It also says the mass is composed "for two equal or unequal voices with organ". Finally, it mentions that Joseph Seymour is the organist of St. Andrew's Church, Westland Row, Dublin.
The score is published by CARY & C°, Oxford Circus Avenue, 231 Oxford Street, W. London. The year of publication is not mentioned. At the very bottom it says 'Printed in Saxony'.
P.S. Saint Brigid of Kildare (451-525) is one of Ireland's patron saints, along with ss. Patrick and Columba.
Het genre van het 'christelijk lied', the hymn, leeft waarschijnlijk nergens sterker dan in Groot-Brittanië. De hymnes van Watts (1674-1748) en Wesley (1707-1788) weerklinken nog altijd regelmatig in de Engelse kerken, maar wist u dat er ook hedendaagse Engelse hymneschrijvers bestaan? Graham Kendrick (UK, 1950) is de meest invloedrijke van zijn generatie (Wikipedia).
Zijn geritmeerde, hedendaags klinkende liederen doen wel eens makkelijk en lichtvoetig aan, maar geven wel gestalte aan een compleet nieuwe soundscape voor steeds meer geloofsgemeenschappen, vooral Angelsaksische. Shine, Jesus, shine (Heer, uw licht en uw liefde schijnen),zijn bekendste nummer, werd in januari 2015 zelfs opgevoerd voor de paus tijdens diens bezoek aan de Filipijnen. Sommigen betreuren dat precies dit soort hymnes de kerkmuziek waarover sprake in onze vorige bijdrage (Joseph Seymour) de vergetelheid indrijft.
Kendrick is beslist niet de 'koning van de happy-clappy banaliteiten' waarvoor hij soms versleten wordt. Zijn composities klinken eenvoudig, maar zitten erg goed in elkaar. Ze zijn meestal eenstemmig, wat neerkomt op meer ruimte voor het orgel en/of orkest. Het maakt ze ook tot populaire meezingers.
Het lied, Prijs onze Heer, (Praise to our God) kan dagenlang wegknagen in je hoofd; een echte oorwurm is het. De versie met koor en orgel die we zullen horen op 't Halle Kermis wordt gebracht als een klassieke koorzang, strak en zonder glissando's. Een aanrader!
Joseph Seymour (1854-1922). Born in Cork, Ireland, on 14 May 1854; died on 2 December 1922. Studied at Mechelen under Nicolas Lemmens, at Ratisbon under Franz Haberl. Graduated B. Mus. at Trinity College, Dublin (1892). Succeeded his father as organist of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Cork (from 1881), a position he retained for 20 years.
A professor of music at the Board of Education Training College, Drumacondra and an examiner for the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Editor of the Dublin Lyra Ecclesiastica (1884-1891), and correspondent to a number of musical journals. Edited Curwen’s Latin Series of Church Music, and other items of church music.
Also composed a Mass in A flat (1888), a Missa Trinitatis, Six Motets and other items of church music. Also composed an Irish May Day children’s operetta on Irish airs, and a part song ‘Bells of Shandon’.
(Source: dictionary of composers for the English Church in Great Britain, on Google.)
QUESTION: DOES ANYONE KNOW SEYMOUR'S MISSA SANCTA BIRGITTA?
The Saint Gregorius choir of Halle are singing it in the basilica on the 19th of July 2015. Let's talk more about it later.
P.S. Very interesting book Roman Catholic Church Music in England, 1791–1914: A Handmaid of the Liturgy? by Dr. T E Muir, Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2013, 310 pages. Joseph Seymour is mentioned several times, but not his mass in honour of Saint Brigid. As the author says, very few works of that period are still being performed and are therefore being lost.
glorious harmony
