Jacob de Haan

Cantica de Sancto Benedicto

Cantica de Sancto Benedicto is a three-movement work for mixed choir, soprano solo, concert band and organ ad libitum - on Latin lyrics that relate to the life of Saint Benedict. It was commissioned by the city of Norcia in Italy, where Benedict was born. The holy Benedict (480-547) is considered the founder of monastic life within the Roman Catholic Church. His enormous influence is especially owing to his monastic rule, the Regula Benedicti. Jacob de Haan has named the movements of Cantica de Sancto Benedicto after the Holy Trinity: the Father (Gloria Patri), the Son (Gloria Filio) and the Holy Spirit (Gloria Spiritui Sancto). The lyrics of the hymn Gemma Caelestis , (which, like the other texts, were originally used in Gregorian chant) are voiced by the choir. To this purpose, Jacob de Haan composed new, choral-like, homophone music. The sequence Laeta Quies is rendered by the soprano; the verses (divided over the three movements) are alternated with those of Gemma Caelestis. The work closes with an impressive grand finale, in which texts are used from the proprium of the mass in honor of the saint's day of the holy Benedict (11 July). Notes to the conductor: For this cantata, there are various possibilities for the performance. The first involves a performance in which the choir and soprano parts are only accompanied by organ. Such a performance has several advantages: since the band never sounds together with the choir and the soprano, no balance problems occur, and even a performance with a large concert band and a small cantata choir is conceivable. A special layout is also possible - with which you can set up a three-dimensional performance in a church. For example, the choir can sing in the chancel, accompanied by the choir organ; the soprano can stand on the gallery, accompanied by the main organ; and the band can be seated in another part of the church. The choir could also sing from a gallery. With layouts like this, working with two conductors is advisable. The accompaniment of the sung parts are written as cue notes for the band. If the work is performed without organ, for example in a concert hall, the accompaniment is played by the band. The accompaniments are orchestrated transparently, to advance the balance between the band, the choir and the soprano. In the third movement (in the measures 144-151) there is an ad libitum passage for the choir. It is only meant for a performance with a very large choir. You could also choose to leave out the musical climax in the third movement. Then you will go directly from measure 156 to measure 213. Reasons to skip this section can be: its somewhat higher grade of difficulty, the limitation of the duration and/or the wish to limit the lyrics of the cantata to the Gemma Caelestis and Laeta Quies. It is also possible to use separate verses during a mass or church service. If desired, the soprano solo can be sung by the choir sopranos. Alternatively, you can have the soprano part (entirely or partially) sung by a tenor. The composer offers an extra service to performing choirs by making available on his web site http://www. jacobdehaan. com audio files of the separate choir parts for home rehearsal. Information on other works for choir and band (Missa Brevis & Missa Katharina) can also be found there.