Choral Choir (SATB) - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1082352 Composed by Erik Spangler. A Cappella,Classical,Contemporary,Praise & Worship,Sacred. Octavo. 4 pages. Erik Spangler #686504. Published by Erik Spangler (A0.1082352). Commissioned by Allen Buskirk for the Mount Calvary Choir, Baltimore, MD. “Diffusa est gratia / Senex puerum portabatâ€Â combines two liturgical texts associated with the feast of Candlemas. The first, “Diffusa est gratia is from Psalm 44:3 and ascribes to Mary a fullness of grace that is a common theme in Marian feasts. The second, Senex puerum portabat,†is more particularly relevant to the story of the infant Jesus and the ancient holy man Simeon found in today’s gospel. Singing two texts within one piece was common in Medieval music, where the interest lay on the juxtaposition of the texts and the interplay between them. Erik’s setting is influenced by both late Medieval and Renaissance choral styles. Each singer has long flowing lines that combine in duets, trios, and full quartet, yielding a variety of textures. Dissonant intervals are treated freely as was common in the late Medieval period before the tight control of the high Renaissance style. This expanded palette allows for more modern harmony that shifts in and out and resolves into consonant intervals at the end of phrases. Rhythmic syncopation and complexity were highly valued in the late Medieval style as they are again today; here they provide forward momentum. Together, these elements define a sensibility that is both ancient and new, influenced by practices of composers from the 14th and 15th centuries as well as more modern composers such as Moondog and Meredith Monk.
