At the request of my parish music director, I have begun the project of writing four part offertories for Sundays throughout the year for the men’s schola. The director is a counter-tenor, so the settings are scored for ATBB, with a fairly broad range in the Alto part. As usual, I’m releasing the scores under a Creative Commons license in the hope that they may be used in the liturgy. Download links are at the bottom of the post.
Each Advent setting is in a different key with the number of sharps corresponding to the number of the Sunday. Likewise the part that begins each piece corresponds to the Sunday (if numbered from bottom to top).
First Sunday of Advent
Ad Te Domine Levavi
The text of this offertory is from Psalm 24:1-3 and feels very appropriate for the present time.
Second Sunday of Advent
Deus Tu Convertens
This offertory is taken from Psalm 84:7-8. The setting emphasizes “…and grant us Thy Salvation.”
Third Sunday of Advent
Benedixisti Domine
Still in Psalm 84, the text for this offertory comes from verses 2 and 3. Whereas the prior two settings plead for the coming of the Savior, this setting is much more tranquil, as if the coming of the merciful Redeemer is near.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Ave Maria
I really love the chant offertory for this Sunday. It is difficult to imagine singing a polyphonic setting in its place, so I kept the chant melody from “Dominus Tecum” and wrote it into an organum in parallel fifths with two drones lines.
About the Featured Image
The featured image is the Preaching of St. John the Baptist by Domenico Ghirlandaio. It is in the public domain in the United States.
3 thoughts on “Four Advent Offertories”