Every church music director I know cherishes a good one or two rehearsal choral anthem. If it’s a-cappella, all the better. Many of these anthems were composed with that in mind and are accessible to the average parish choir. Some anthems are more difficult, such as “Prayer to Mary”, “Ave Maria” and “Ubi Caritas” given the divisi and harmonies they contain and will require more rehearsal time! The first three anthems are short in length, allowing the choir to spend more time working on blend, shape and sound rather than learning parts.
My simple yet noble, modal, a-cappella, plainchant setting of the “Song of Farewell” (OCF text), is available for preview and purchase. Let’s sing the liturgy (no more replacing the appointed texts to be sung with another song)!
May all my compositions help the People of God enter more deeply into and sing the Sacred Liturgy!
-JG
- Set Me Like a Seal, by John Gaffney, (Copyright © 2016, GIA Publications, Inc.)
- Seek the Lord, by John Gaffney, (Copyright © 2016, GIA Publications, Inc.)
- Our God Has Gone Up, by John Gaffney, (Copyright © 2016, GIA Publications, Inc.)
- Prayer to Mary In Times of Distress, by John Gaffney, (Copyright © 2018, J. Gaffney)
LISTEN & RECEIVE FREE SCORE & REPRINT PERMISSION!
- Ave Maria, by John Gaffney, (Copyright © 2018, Publication In Process)
- Ubi Caritas, by John Gaffney, (Copyright © 2020, Publication in Process)
- Song of Farewell (OCF text), by John Gaffney, (Copyright © 2021, GIA Publications Inc.)
A simple yet noble, modal, a cappella, plain chant setting that inspires congregational participation, of the “Song of Farewell” (“Order of Christian Funerals” text) which works well with the other chant in the Order of Mass (Roman Missal, Third Edition). No more replacing the official, appointed sung text with another song! Let’s sing the liturgy (our tradition, norm and ideal)!
John Gaffney, Music & Liturgy 