Mass for a Pilgrim People by Peter Grant

This is another of the masses that were bought by our parish in search of settings to use locally.  Peter Grant is an Australian composer and this mass is part of As One Voice’s Liturgical series.  There are samples of these masses in no particular order at the AOV site here.  There are all worth a listen but do go and hear what Peter’s mass is supposed to sound like with piano and voice.

Since if I can convince anyone locally to do this mass next year it will be on guitar, I’ve used guitar based backings on BIAB to create my backings for the mass. While the backings are all computer based I have strummed these through and they are quite playable and singable to.

I’m not doing the Kyrie nor Our Father because we don’t sing them but do listen to the Lord Have Mercy in the samples as it is quite lovely.

The Glory to God is 6/8 and starts with 2 Glory’s before the refrain, which is a nice touch. I’ve done it on Trumpet first, then the vocal line before starting the refrain the first time.  Even with a repeated refrain and a prolonged amen it clocks in under 3 minutes.  It has a memorable chorus and navigates the clumsy text with aplomb with repeating melodic motifs that link similar lines in the text. The transition from chorus to verse is a little breathless but I’m sure manageable. My backing doesn’t give you the right dynamics for the full dramatic impact but, as always, may work for learning purposes.

The Gospel Acclamation follows the style of the Gloria and allows for a chant of the appropriate verse before a repeat.  Since that can’t be done in BIAB I’ve just done the acclamation.

For the Holy, Holy, Holy, Grant switches to a 4/4 motif that goes through into the Lamb of God, and is in the Kyrie as well.  He puts in a long rising crescendo on “hosts” before his party trick, two descending triplets with the words returning (Heaven and earth) on the second triplet. The triplets are repeated for “Blessed is he” again with the words coming in on the second triplet.  I’ve put a piano line in the backing so you can hear what he is up to, but it is an original and effective device.

We use the “When We Eat This Bread” acclamation, so that’s the one I’ve done. This is 4/4 but more forceful than the Sanctus. He repeats “until you come again.”

The Great Amen returns to the 6/8 of the Gloria.

The Lamb of God is minor key version of the style of the Holy Holy with the triplet trick pulled off again.  It also manages to be long enough that it won’t need repeating for your priest to finish all the liturgical business he wants done at this time. He repeats the “have mercy”

This mass is eminently playable, even on guitar, has memorable hooks and nuance. (perhaps not noticeable in my backings) For those who were sorry the revised Mass of Freedom was such a disappointment, this mass can have the same flow but with a lighter dancing touch. This one might have legs and it is certainly worth going to the AOV site and buying a full copy to try it out yourself.