BLESSED ARE YOU, O MARY

and Alma Redemptoris Mater

...all in one responsory.  This is a practice that C. Alexander Peloquin employed in some of his work, namely in his Rejoice in Hope and Prayer of Self-Offering (both of which incorporate Ubi Caritas), and In Memory of You (which incorporates Ave Verum).

The antiphon is a paraphrase of the Marian Offertory Felix Namque Es, while the versicles are the Alma Redemptoris Mater, in Latin.  Both of these, the antiphon and the versicles, are set to original music.

Part of both Psalm 151 and the partially-completed Christus Vincit Gradual.

PDF - Blessed Are You, O Mary - Unison responsory

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AVE MARIA

The Ave Maria (Hail Mary) is, in addition to being that beloved prayer to our Blessed Mother, the appointed Offertory Proper for Sunday IV of Advent and the Immaculate Conception.  These appointed offertories end at et benedictus fructus ventris tui on Advent IV and at Benedicta tu in mulieribus on the Immaculate Conception. However, it's always ok to finish the prayer.

Great to use as an extra anthem or hymn at other Marian feasts and solemnities as well. PLUS: since this setting is written entirely in Latin, you can also use it in an Extraordinary Form Mass.

Two versions are available, as a choral anthem in A-flat, or as a hymn in F. Both contain a copyable congregation part (which is in F in both versions), as well as parts for a string quartet.

(UPDATE 6-28-23:) Now part of the partially-completed Christus Vincit Gradual.

PDF - Ave Maria - SATB, Organ and optional Strings; both keys (F and A-flat) are included.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.  You are free to copy and perform this work free of charge, provided that proper attributions/credits are given (as they are given in the original work), and no derivatives of the work may be made.

LORD, YOU HAVE GREATLY BLESSED YOUR LAND

The text based on Psalm 85 and written by an unknown author.  The tune is short and sweet, short enough where the seven verses of text won't feel like a marathon.  The tune is one of those rarities that end in the V chord, and the last note of the melody is the fifth of that V chord (for those not so well versed in music theory, the tune is in the key of D, but it ends in the A chord, and the melody ends with an E note).  This kind of ending also takes place in a little-known tune by the late C. Alexander Peloquin, titled "Creative Love".  If you have a Worship II hymnal handy, it's at #257, with the Fred Kaan hymn text, Surrounded by a World of Need.

This tune, like the one I wrote for O that I Could for Ever Dwell, is based on a Gregorian melody from the Liber Usualis, in this case, the Offertory Benedixisti, Domine from III Advent.

(UPDATE VI-28-23: Now part of the partially-completed Christus Vincit Gradual.

PDF - Lord, You Have Greatly Blessed Your Land

SATB hymn

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.  You are free to copy and perform this work free of charge, provided that proper attributions/credits are given (as they are given in the original work), and no derivatives of the work may be made.