Missa Ecclesiae
| Missa Ecclesiae is a mass for unaccompanied choir that uses the standard Catholic Mass–with the exception of the Credo – as its Latin text. The mass is written for a liturgical setting rather than a concert hall, and many of the passages are written with the reverberant acoustics of the great cathedrals in mind. Missa Ecclesiae begins with a Kyrie in the style of Renaissance composers such as Byrd or Palestrina; subsequent movements – Gloria, Sanctus et Benedictus, and Agnus Dei – slowly progress in harmonic complexity, but a tonal framework is preserved throughout the work. The movements are also linked with shared melodic fragments that unify the mass, even when they are used in different contexts. This work was the composer’s Master’s Thesis for the completion of his degree at Arizona State University. | Featured RecordingChoir of Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona. |