American Mass/Peruvian Gloria - any ideas?

[dunstan]

A week on Saturday I will be playing for the mass at which one of our sister is making her final vows. She has asked for the American Mass, and the Peruvian Gloria.

The Gloria particularly bothers me: the book suggests it should be sung unaccompanied with bongoes but I don't especially fancy that idea, and don't have a bongo player on my books. Rather, I've got a syncopated accompaniment buzzing round my head at the moment, possibly with my flautist playing a descant/counterpoint.

Has anyone been down this path before me, and have other ideas? I'm concerned that I might over-egg it, as I've been listening to Oscar Peterson all week.

[docmattc]

In one of the parishes where I play I do have a bongo player on the books. I'm not convinced that this is necessarily a good thing though! We have done Peruvian Gloria with just bongos (Bongi?) and it wasn't so painful. Equally I've done it completely unaccompanied with just cantor and congregation and that works well.

I am trying to phase out the Peruvian Gloria altogether- it is a piece that was 'of its time' (as was the American Mass) and it isn't actually a Gloria anyway, its a Doxology. Bizarrely its spawned a new verb in the parish music group- to peruve!

[Merseysider]

As this is someone so young in religious life, its's sad that she requested something quite to out of the ark. Can you not persuade Sister to get a bit more "with it" – love that term as I'm particularly without it – perhaps a Holy with a bit more Oomph or, at least, with the right words?

[dunstan]

As this is someone so young in religious life, its's sad that she requested something quite so out of the ark. Can you not persuade Sister to get a bit more "with it" – love that term as I'm particularly without it – perhaps a Holy with a bit more Oomph or, at least, with the right words?

Well, I've been given the completed order of service, so no. And the particular order tend to attract late vocations, so this could well be from Sister's formative years.

I must try and get something sketched out this evening ...

[Merseysider]

In which case you'll have to lump it.
A tad sad they didn't involve the parish musician a little earlier.
Can we presume the American Mass and Peruvian Gloria are part of the parish repertoire? Or is it simply that the good sisters are effectively borrowing the building.
Can you "over-egg" the Peruvian Gloria?

[presbyter]

[quote="dunstan"........sister is making her final vows. She has asked for the American Mass, and the Peruvian Gloria.[/quote]

I'd be interested to know why she wants these - truly, I really would. Please ask her and post.

[presbyter]

Can you "over-egg" the Peruvian Gloria?

Don't know but I've heard it scrambled a few times.

[TimSharrock]

We generally do use a Bongo (one of the pair - I must get a bongo-stand sometime so I can use both hands...), but the rest of the musicians (piano, and some combination of violin/sax/trumpet/flute) join in in the non-cantor parts.

[dunstan]

Well, I mashed something together with our flautist which seemed to go down OK. I was rather perturbed when a parishioner asked "Oh, I liked that mass, can we do it regularly", but somehow rearranged Dead Over Body My into something tactful. It was a joyous occasion, with many of Sister's family present (including her grandchildren), and an excellent reception afterwards.