Scores

Beata viscera was written in 2005 for the choral scores we published with the magazine Stemband of Koor&Stem. It is an easy and appealing composition in which all voices are assigned an interesting line.

Norbert Rosseau wrote about six masses. This Missa in honorem spiritus sancti is dedicated to Noel Van Wambeke and Pros Goethals, the conductors of the cathedral choir in Ghent. This work is in Latin, later Rosseau would also write church music for them in Dutch.

Marcel Ponseele (°1957) came second in the category music schools with De Grens (the border), inspired by the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. Ponseele is a renowned oboist and oboe builder. We know him from his wonderful ensemble Il Gardellino. As a young pensioner, he now focuses on composing. A nice surprise.

With Domine Deus in simplicitate, Ludo Claesen takes us to Gregorian chant. The beginning of the composition refers to the original melody of the Gregorian hymn. Claesen does not literally copy the melody line, but retains the idea behind the practice: the melismatic singing or in other words, the singing of several notes on a syllable.

Ludo Claesen wrote Domine non est exaltatum (psalm 131) for a colloquium in August 2016. The feasibility for an average church choir was an important criterion.

Paul Steegmans wrote a simple religious work: Ego sum panis, suitable for liturgy or concert.

Ego sum vitis vera (I am the true vine) is a communion song. The beautiful text inspired the composer to create a composition with a drive and a storyline through a play between male and female choir, surrounded by flowing and natural lines and uplifting sound auras. Rhythmically, this is not an easy piece, but once the score is mastered, the fruits are all the sweeter.

El Grillo is typical of a frottola, a simple profane song in Italian and musical ancestor of the madrigal.

Fortuna vitrea est is a three-part work with piano accompaniment based on a beautiful saying in Latin. Originally, this piece was written for SSA, but has not yet been performed in that line-up. Especially for Koor&Stem, Vigdis reworked the piece into a version for SAB with piano, the existing material shaped a brand new piece. The composer wrote a number of pages around the text Fortuna vitrea est tum cum splendit (Happiness is like glass, when it is at its shiniest...) only to unleash onto the audience the pointe frangitur (it breaks) in short notes in the last bar as a finale of the piece.

This composition has as only text different sorts of fruit in English. Throughout the piece, the salad is prepared by the way of singing in the choir, but also by a percussionist who cuts the pieces in a rythmical way. In the ultimate minutes of the composition, the choir eats the fruit salad. Voices disappear one by one, untill the bowl of fruit salad is empty.