About this work:
Premiered Sunday, October 21, 2007, 10:00 A.M. at S. Stephen's Church in Providence, Rhode Island; Schola Cantorum of S. Stephen's Church under the direction of James Busby; performed as part of the service. Commissioned by S. Stephen's Church.
Missa Sancti Stephani was commissioned by James Busby, director of the Schola Cantorum at S. Stephen's Church in Providence, Rhode Island. In this Episcopal church, the Solemn High Mass is performed every Sunday by a superb choir of 20 voices, with a different setting of the mass featured each week. Following in the classic tradition, the Ramsay missa brevis sets the Latin mass minus the Credo. This a cappella work pays homage to musical traditions, combining conservative harmonic language (each movement is in a specific key) with a modern sensibility. Special attention is paid to the text, and word painting is abundant throughout. In addition to the choral polyphony of each movement, the Kyrie, Gloria, and Sanctus/Benedictus feature solo voices that provide contrast and underscore key elements within the text.
This work was released on a CD compliation of Graham Gordon Ramsay's sacred choral works through Albany Records in 2011.
To hear this work, visit Albany Records' YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBSBxM62INs
To view a video on the making of "The Sacred Voice," visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uUASpq38Bw