Monday 29 March 2010

A blast

Just discussing with the retired organist some bits and bobs - apparently a few bit of music have to get played n sung between now and next Sunday lunch-time, after which I shall retire into a lake of chocolate - and I have to play a blast between the Priest intoning the Gloria and the rest of it being sung, whilst bells get rung on Thursday.

It's just the sort of this which if you are not that person blasting away, you just don't need to notice terribly much. I hoped this would mean that I could acquire another secret chord formula, but no it seems I must compose my own. Somthing that my Music Teacher at school would have referred to as con belto.

Any offers? - nothing too Messiaen, just a few major chords will do....Maybe a succession, mmm

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I, vi, IV, V,I? Short and sweet..

leutgeb said...

Chopsticks!

Clare said...

I would like some Timps and a baroque valve-less trumpet for the Gloria. Molto con belto. I suspect this won't happen as would be very difficult getting the timpani up to the organ loft... (nothing to do with the fact that l don't know anyone free on a Thursday evening in Holy Week who happens to own either of these instruments.) Incidentally, l had the same dilemma the other day, and my very unholy other half suggested the 80s classic, The Final Countdown by Europe.

Patricius said...

I have come across two ways of doing the Gloria on Maundy Thursday and at the Easter Vigil. One is where the bells are simply rung throughout the singing of the Gloria. The other is the one you appear to be describing where, after the intonation of the Gloria, there is a pause during which the organ plays and the bells are rung for a brief interlude after which the bells fall silent. The singing of the Gloria is then continued with only organ accompaniment. Personally, I prefer the former approach - a sort of joyful riot of noise- and this was how it was done when I was in Rome in 1979. The latter method is in my opinion just for girls!

berenike said...

"can belto", surely?

I'm with Patricius.

If you get the servers all supplied with bells, and don't have them all ring all the time, but fade in and out a bit as they feel like it (so that most of them are ringing all of the time, but some are not, except prps at end and beginning), the sound remains lively all the way through the Gloria :)

The last bit of the Messe pour les Couvents (Couperin) might give you some inspiration. Or something Alain-ish. Hmmm. Interesting :)

leutgeb said...

con belto
con brio
con fuoco

Surely you learnt all that for Grade V Theory?