Glory to God (Berthier) Laudate 528

[Hare]

I am thinking of introducing the above. Does anyone here do it, and if so, how do you allocate the verses - choir/cantor with all singing the refrain, or everyone singing throughout?

Any info gratefully received.

[John Ainslie]

I use this setting regularly for occasions when there are plenty of visitors, e.g. First Communions, Confirmation, Christmas Midnight Mass. Normally my 4-part choir lead the singing, and the congregation, encouraged by me as music leader/animator, repeat the refrain after its initial singing by the choir and after each verse. I have arranged the verses so that the choir sing the first verse in unison, the second in harmony, then the first half of third in unison by the ladies, second half by gents; the fourth verse has 'You alone are holy, are Lord', sung in unison, the rest in harmony. If the choir is absent, as last night at confirmation, the choir parts can be done (in unison!) by a single cantor/leader.

I thoroughly recommend this setting for occasional and/or festal use. 90% of the congregation were visitors last night, yet by the third repeat, confirmandi/ae and families were all giving good voice.

[Hare]

I use this setting regularly for occasions when there are plenty of visitors, e.g. First Communions, Confirmation, Christmas Midnight Mass. Normally my 4-part choir lead the singing, and the congregation, encouraged by me as music leader/animator, repeat the refrain after its initial singing by the choir and after each verse. I have arranged the verses so that the choir sing the first verse in unison, the second in harmony, then the first half of third in unison by the ladies, second half by gents; the fourth verse has 'You alone are holy, are Lord', sung in unison, the rest in harmony. If the choir is absent, as last night at confirmation, the choir parts can be done (in unison!) by a single cantor/leader.

I thoroughly recommend this setting for occasional and/or festal use. 90% of the congregation were visitors last night, yet by the third repeat, confirmandi/ae and families were all giving good voice.

Thank you John - very helpful.

I have played this (sung in the original French - which does fit the music better!) in a French parish where I play when there on holiday, and the choir there reckon on singing the verses, but the congregation seem to join in. Personally, I think the verses are best left to choir or cantor as the verses do differ in some cases.

[Nick Baty]

I suspect it could be because of translation issues, but I do find this terribly clunky. Is it just me?

[Hare]

I suspect it could be because of translation issues, but I do find this terribly clunky. Is it just me?

I know what you mean-the text was originally in French and does fit better (pronouncing" grande" as "grand-e" and "terre" as "terr-e":-

Gloire à Dieu dans le ciel, grande paix sur la terre ! (bis)

1 - Nous te louons, nous te bénissons, nous t'adorons !
Nous te glorifions, nous te rendons grâce pour ton immense gloire !

2 - Seigneur Dieu, le roi du ciel, le Père tout-puissant ;
Seigneur Dieu Agneau de Dieu le fils du Père !

3 - le seul Saint, le seul Seigneur, le seul Très-Haut !
Jésus Christ, avec l'Esprit dans la gloire du Père !

[Nick Baty]

On which subject – I've always wondered why, at Lourdes, most nationalities sing a translation of the Lourdes hymn while the English sing a totally different hymn to the same tune. Anyone know why?