Sanctus

This piece was written for the Lawrence High School A Cappella Choir, Lawrence, KS. The beginning almost reminds me of baroque church music; similar to something Bach may have written in his day, but as the piece develops, it grows stylistically while maintaining the frame of the original idea. It finally modulates into E major, adds onto the previous melody, and builds into a massively sonorous chord , followed by a majestic and unyielding finale to the piece. The frame of the piece models many components that would've been heard in the Sanctus of a Later Renaissance Catholic Mass as well, such as the ability to understand the text when listening (if it was sung in real life), the rich polyphonic texture of the four (plus) parts, the introduction towards the middle of the piece of accidentals, and the fact that the piece is written a cappella, or without accompaniment. The Sanctus is traditionally the first section of Part 2 of the Mass, and is considered part of the "Ordinary," or the part of the mass in which the text is consistent year-round and is never altered for any occasion. The word, "Sanctus," is translated to the English word, "holy," and the idea of the movement is to say, "Holy is the Lord, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna in the Highest!" This is a movement of excitement and praise of the Lord. As the opening of Part 2, this movement typically follows the Credo, or profession of beliefs.