Early music sweeps us away to a vanished world of mystery and wonder, a world of candles, stone, wood, and intimate music. Like a blossoming flower, the best early music is fresh, beautiful, ethereal, and fragrant. Take Decut huius cunctis horis from Rose Ensemble’s new Slavic Wonders series. Scored for treble voices and viola pedal, the uniquely beautiful composition transports the listener to another dimension. The music exults the human spirit and reminds us that beauty can never die, so long as we sing.
Decet huius cunctis horis
Jan z Jenštejna arr. Jordan Sramek
Rose Publications (The Rose Ensemble)
SSA, opt. soli, vielle or viola
A tour de force chant from Medieval Bohemia for treble voices.
(Listen to Decet huius cunctis horis performed by The Rose Ensemble)
From Jordan Sramek — Founder, The Rose Ensemble & Rose Publications:
How the series came about:
When programming early music, choral musicians most commonly choose Italian or Spanish composers over those from Central Europe. Moreover, music from, say, Prague or Krakow is often not even considered–due either to perceived inaccessibility or to a mere lack of interest. Rose Publications v3, “Slavic Wonders,” shines light on some truly brilliant gems: Latin motets from 16th-17th-century Bohemia and Poland, as well as medieval carols and Renaissance polyphony in the Czech-language.
About the series, some programmatic highlights:
Difficulty levels are 2-4, with a diversity of voicing, so there really is something for almost everyone. We are pleased to have received permission from a number of museums and libraries to include facsimiles, which are a great companion to our transcriptions, as well as to our signature comprehensive program notes, translations, and pronunciation guides. This collection features five motets by Polish composer Mikołaj Zieleński, who published his works in Venice in 1611 (the style definitely reflects Gabrieli’s iconic influence). There are also lovely Christmas pieces from the famed ca. 1500 Prague manuscript, Codex Speciálník. And we are particularly excited about a Czech-language motet which (due to its poetry, form, and gorgeous writing), we like to call the “Renaissance Biebl Ave Maria.”
|
|
About the Publisher
Rose Publications was created to advance the programmatic legacy of The Rose Ensemble (1996-2021), which achieved an international reputation for uniting virtuosic vocal artistry with scholarly research, and connecting audiences to compelling stories of human history, culture, and spirituality from around the world. Rose Publications is led by Rose Ensemble Founder/Artistic Director, Jordan Sramek, along with Co-General Editor Daniel Mahraun, former Rose Ensemble musician and current artistic director of the Seattle Bach Choir.
Volumes 1-3 of Rose Publications’ offerings are: And Glory Shone Around (18th- and 19th-century Southern Harmony and Shaker hymns); Nā Mele Hawaiʻi (19th- and 20th-century Hawaiian hymnody, art music, and ranching songs); Slavic Wonders (medieval Czech carols, Latin and vernacular motets from Renaissance Bohemia and Poland). A creative variety of choral music will continue in future series, including historical and new works from Central and South American regions, a volume dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, and more.
Explore more music from Rose Publications!
|
|
|
Our Contributing Editor
Jonathan Campbell, BA, MSM, DMA, currently serves as Director of Music at Zion Lutheran Church, Anoka, MN., and is a Contributing Editor for Graphite Publishing. His music publishers include Augsburg Fortress, Concordia, Morningstar, GIA, Sacred Music Press, and Falls House. He won first prize in the Morningside Choral Composition Contest and was also awarded a Faith Partner’s Residency with the American Composer’s Forum. Jonathan has served many churches, conducted the Chorale of the Honors Choirs S.E. MN for eight years, and has served on the faculties of Winona State University, Augsburg University, and Pomona College.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.