Litany of the Saints

[JW]

Help, please! I'm sat at the computer notating a Litany of the Saints that we've sung in our parish for many years - but the only copies I have are written out by parish musicians. I suppose it could even have been composed by one of our previous musicians but I doubt it. There is no acknowledgement on any of the copies I have and it was harmonised by myself about 15 years ago.

It is in the minor key. The petitions are all in sets of three. They follow the same pattern, the first starting on the dominant (So) going down to Fa, then to La, and ends on the same note it started. The second and third petitions have similar melodies but the second starts on the sub-dominant (Fa) and the third on the mediant (Mi) and ends on the supertonic(Re). The Congregational response starts on the note the petition ended, drops one tone, then goes back to the starting note, apart from the third, which is tonic (do), drop a full tone (ti), tonic(do). Because of the three-fold melody to the petitions, one has to add petitions in sets of three.

Does this ring any bells with anyone? Who composed it / owns the copyright, as I'd like to make the proper acknowledgements? I suppose you could argue that this is such a basic chant melody that it is in the public domain but I suspect someone would want to be acknowledged?

Thanks very much in advance of your help.

[mcb]

Sounds like the litany by Joseph Gélineau, arr. Robert B. Kelly, that appears (if memory serves) in the McCrimmons collection for Holy Week called The Great Week (ed. Stephen Dean, published in 1987). We've used this setting (in a harmonised arrangement of mine) for the last 17 years, though this Easter we used the chant setting from the new Missal translation. I know what you mean about having to add extra saints in threes!

[JW]

Ah thanks MCB! I wasn't aware of that one! The 2001 McCrimmons resource ('Music for Holy Week and Easter') doesn't have it in. I haven't been able to find it via Google / YouTube either so Salford and Rainham might be the only churches who use this one . I'll get an email out to Stephen Dean.

By the way, the John D Becker setting seems to be very popular in the ether; I have to say I'm not convinced, seems a bit sugary to me.

[mcb]

(if memory serves) in the McCrimmons collection for Holy Week called The Great Week (ed. Stephen Dean, published in 1987).

Now I think about it, actually I think it's in Focus on Holy Week (ed. Gerry Fitzpatrick, pub. Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 1986). I'll have a look tomorrow.

[JW]

Just to set the record straight, the copyright for the Joseph Gélineau, arr. Robert B. Kelly version appears to be administered by Kevin Mayhew Ltd.

[mcb]

Yep, that's right - I was right the second time, it's in Focus on Holy Week.

[JW]

We have the Litany of the Saints for the first time in 5 years this year, thanks be to God! As we have different cantors and a new translation we're using the Missal Tone. I know that the purists insist it should be unaccompanied. However, we'll be accompanying it, especially as it's unfamiliar to the congregation, but I'm somewhat surprised that there are no organ accompaniments out there, unless anyone knows better? It's interesting that the majority of Youtube efforts are either accompanied or sung by choirs with no congregational input. I'll be accompanying with chords I've penicilled in myself.

[VML]

Hope it all goes well. We will be singing the Becker I'm afraid. And starting at 8.00......

[blackthorn fairy]

We sing it - as always -unaccompanied to a version given to us some years ago by an assistant priest. Don't know where it came from.

[alan29]

I honestly can't remember the last time we sang it. It must be at least 20 years ago.
NB <whisper> we don't say it either.

[Hare]

It should only be used at the Vigil if there is a baptism.

[PhloridaPhil]

Hare, are you sure?

It's been so long since I've not experienced a baptism at the Vigil, I can't remember but I suspect one still blesses water (and thereby the font).

[alan29]

No its right. If there's no baptism there's no litany and no blessing of the font either ..... just bless water for the sprinkling.
I checked.

[VML]

Absolutely. We had 5 baptisms this year.

[JW]

It's nice to have some unusual saints, from candidates' baptismal and confirmation names. We had St William of Rochester this year (though he's really from Perth).

We were able to get an antiphonal effect with two cantors alternating from either side of the West Gallery. It worked quite well.