We are planning a Celtic Christmas morning mass. Does anyone know what is considered tarditional Celtic Christmas Mass material? We will have flute, guitar, and voice. Any assistance or suggestions will be greatly appreiciated.
There's no such thing as a traditional (ie: ancient) Celtic Christmas mass, per se. As Christianity hit each Celtic country, they adapted their own musical forms, although I believe that the plainsong and other old forms were in common use throughout any congregation led by a trained monk. I'm not sure about the various churches before the split between the Roman Catholic church and the other churches (Greek, Irish, etc.).
There are, however, tunes that you can use which sound quite uplifting. Some of the old hymns were set to various tunes from the isles formerly known as British, as often those who put inspirational words to music often liked to use melodies that their parishes would already be familiar with. Be Thou My Vision and Morning Has Broken are two relatively well known cases of this and of course any number of carols were set to already existing tunes (The Cherry Tree Carol, for instance, and there are several sets of lyrics for The Ash Grove).
Which Celtic tradition are you looking for music within? Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Breton, American, Canadian, Shetland Island, Galician? (There's more.) Does it have to be old? Can it be modern? (ie: written in the last fifty years.) Are you looking for Roman Catholic, specifically (and so need specific pieces responses)? If you'll tell us that, I'll try to help.
I'd also check with liturgical houses to see if they have any of the various services written in the "celtic" genres -- often they come with sheet music and CDs or tapes.
Wow, you have a lot of information. We will be doing the mass at a Roman Catholic Church with the priest sitting in. But, I don't think that they are concerned with it being necessarily Roman Catholic music. We do want Irish and it can definately be from the last 50 years. We want it to sound really cool, uplifting, and moving. I appreciate your wealth of knowledge.
Marty Haugen has written a lovely Mass which my church uses at various times of the year.
See also the mass written by Liam Lawton: copyright 1995, by Veritas Publications/Liam Lawton. GIA Publications, Inc. 7404 S. Mason Ave. Shicago Il 60638.
Lovely pieces which I always enjoy singing along with. For a sung Mass, ( the best kind, in my view). Lovely Irish melodic feel, but is actually mainstream for modern day Catholics...
Not strictly Celtic, but certainly related, Daquin wrote variations on "Noels" for organ around 1740, to be played specifically on Christmas Eve. These "Noels" were variations on much older French "peasant" tunes originally played on bagpipes and would be suitable to re-arrangement. They are real toe-tappers.
Celtic Christmas Mass
Celtic Christmas Mass
We are planning a Celtic Christmas morning mass. Does anyone know what is considered tarditional Celtic Christmas Mass material? We will have flute, guitar, and voice. Any assistance or suggestions will be greatly appreiciated.
Thanks
# Posted on November 12th 2002 by Whitney
Re: Celtic Christmas Mass
There's no such thing as a traditional (ie: ancient) Celtic Christmas mass, per se. As Christianity hit each Celtic country, they adapted their own musical forms, although I believe that the plainsong and other old forms were in common use throughout any congregation led by a trained monk. I'm not sure about the various churches before the split between the Roman Catholic church and the other churches (Greek, Irish, etc.).
There are, however, tunes that you can use which sound quite uplifting. Some of the old hymns were set to various tunes from the isles formerly known as British, as often those who put inspirational words to music often liked to use melodies that their parishes would already be familiar with. Be Thou My Vision and Morning Has Broken are two relatively well known cases of this and of course any number of carols were set to already existing tunes (The Cherry Tree Carol, for instance, and there are several sets of lyrics for The Ash Grove).
Which Celtic tradition are you looking for music within? Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Breton, American, Canadian, Shetland Island, Galician? (There's more.) Does it have to be old? Can it be modern? (ie: written in the last fifty years.) Are you looking for Roman Catholic, specifically (and so need specific pieces responses)? If you'll tell us that, I'll try to help.
I'd also check with liturgical houses to see if they have any of the various services written in the "celtic" genres -- often they come with sheet music and CDs or tapes.
Zina
# Posted on November 12th 2002 by Zina Lee
Excuse me, not monk (I was thinking of monastaries at the time!) -- priest. Sorry, slip of the fingers.
# Posted on November 12th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Celtic Christmas Mass
Zina
Wow, you have a lot of information. We will be doing the mass at a Roman Catholic Church with the priest sitting in. But, I don't think that they are concerned with it being necessarily Roman Catholic music. We do want Irish and it can definately be from the last 50 years. We want it to sound really cool, uplifting, and moving. I appreciate your wealth of knowledge.
Thanks
# Posted on November 12th 2002 by Whitney
Re: Celtic Christmas Mass
Hi Whitney:
I'm about to leave for class, but you can amuse yourself with:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/113
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Zone/6338/taladh.html
I'll post later on tonight after class with some info on liturgical stuff...
Zina
# Posted on November 12th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Celtic Christmas Mass
Liturgy in general:
http://www.cushnieent.force9.co.uk/liturgy.html
http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/mstringer/liturgy23.htm
Music in Liturgy:
http://www.liturgy.demon.co.uk/Pages/Singing.html
http://members.tripod.com/texasmidi/mass.htm
CDs of "celtic worship and praise music"
http://www.worshipmusic.com/celticworship.html
Hope you'll find something here that helps...
Zina
# Posted on November 12th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Celtic Christmas Mass
Marty Haugen has written a lovely Mass which my church uses at various times of the year.
See also the mass written by Liam Lawton: copyright 1995, by Veritas Publications/Liam Lawton. GIA Publications, Inc. 7404 S. Mason Ave. Shicago Il 60638.
Lovely pieces which I always enjoy singing along with. For a sung Mass, ( the best kind, in my view). Lovely Irish melodic feel, but is actually mainstream for modern day Catholics...
# Posted on November 14th 2002 by lees
Re: Celtic Christmas Mass
You could try some of the plain chant stuff recorded by the monks at Glenstall Abbey.
Also O Riada wrote a lot of sacred music, and there is a whole mass in Irish.
The Voice Squad also recorded some appropriate old hymns in English that would be appropriate.
Matt Cranitch (formerly of Na Filí) is a lecturer at University College Cork and might be helpful mailto:mcranitch@cit.ie
You might also try http://www.singerscircle.com/ which is the web site for the Nenagh Singers Circle in Ireland.
Or how about Solas who have recorded a lot of sacred music http://www.giamusic.com/cgi-bin/cart/SoftCart.exe/artists/Solas.html?E+scstore
Janet Harbinson has also recorded stuff for Harp that could be easily transposed http://www.belfastharps.com/onlinestore/prodsCat1.asp?Cat2=CD
Hope this helps.
# Posted on November 14th 2002 by breandan
Re: Celtic Christmas Eve Mass
Not strictly Celtic, but certainly related, Daquin wrote variations on "Noels" for organ around 1740, to be played specifically on Christmas Eve. These "Noels" were variations on much older French "peasant" tunes originally played on bagpipes and would be suitable to re-arrangement. They are real toe-tappers.
# Posted on November 14th 2002 by geoffwright