Sonoma Bach
  • Bach's World
    • 2022-2023 Concerts >
      • Travels with Sebastian
      • The Old Bach Archive
      • Christmas with Bach
      • The Little Organ Book
      • Bachapella
      • Arnstadt & Mülhausen
      • Bach Through the Years
    • 2022-23 Educational Events >
      • BachTalks
      • Saturday Sings!
    • 2022-23 Virtual Offerings >
      • The Choir Loft >
        • Feb. 5 - Winter's Chill - Dianna Morgan
        • Feb. 12 - The Heirs of Bach: Charles Ives - Steve Osborn
        • March 12 - The Heirs of Bach: Hugo Distler - Steve Osborn
      • Repertoire Exploration Projects
    • Tickets
    • Donate today!
  • Who we are and What we do
    • Mission Statement
  • Our Ensembles
    • Sonoma Bach Choir
    • Circa 1600
    • Green Mountain Consort
    • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Sponsor a Singer!
    • Escrip & Amazon Smile
  • Resources
    • Virtual Offerings - Archive >
      • The Choir Loft
      • Virtual BachTalk
      • Adventures in Sightsinging
      • Parliamo Italiano! Language Workshop
      • Madrigal Mondays
      • Chorale Wednesdays
      • Motet Fridays
      • Virtual Recording Projects
      • Virtual Concerts >
        • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
        • Music for these Distracted Times - Barefoot All-Stars
        • Agave Baroque American Originals
        • Bach's Long Walk to Lübeck - Anne Laver, organ
    • Concert Programs
    • Scores & Parts
    • Rehearsal Recordings
  • Contact
  • Join our Mailing List!
  • Bach's World
    • 2022-2023 Concerts >
      • Travels with Sebastian
      • The Old Bach Archive
      • Christmas with Bach
      • The Little Organ Book
      • Bachapella
      • Arnstadt & Mülhausen
      • Bach Through the Years
    • 2022-23 Educational Events >
      • BachTalks
      • Saturday Sings!
    • 2022-23 Virtual Offerings >
      • The Choir Loft >
        • Feb. 5 - Winter's Chill - Dianna Morgan
        • Feb. 12 - The Heirs of Bach: Charles Ives - Steve Osborn
        • March 12 - The Heirs of Bach: Hugo Distler - Steve Osborn
      • Repertoire Exploration Projects
    • Tickets
    • Donate today!
  • Who we are and What we do
    • Mission Statement
  • Our Ensembles
    • Sonoma Bach Choir
    • Circa 1600
    • Green Mountain Consort
    • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Sponsor a Singer!
    • Escrip & Amazon Smile
  • Resources
    • Virtual Offerings - Archive >
      • The Choir Loft
      • Virtual BachTalk
      • Adventures in Sightsinging
      • Parliamo Italiano! Language Workshop
      • Madrigal Mondays
      • Chorale Wednesdays
      • Motet Fridays
      • Virtual Recording Projects
      • Virtual Concerts >
        • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
        • Music for these Distracted Times - Barefoot All-Stars
        • Agave Baroque American Originals
        • Bach's Long Walk to Lübeck - Anne Laver, organ
    • Concert Programs
    • Scores & Parts
    • Rehearsal Recordings
  • Contact
  • Join our Mailing List!
Regina caeli laetare by Pierre Manchicourt
Sonoma Manchicourt?
No, no, we're not changing our name. But today's motet makes the idea kind of tempting.
It's a setting of the Marian antiphon 'Regina caeli laetare', by Pierre Manchicourt (c.1510-1564). 

You may be asking, 'Pierre who?' While  Manchicourt has been on my radar to some extent for a while, and I know a few of you out there are fans (Ole, are you reading this?), I can't say that he's exactly a household name. But once you listen to and learn about this fabulous Friday Motet, you might think he's got a shot at achieving that coveted status.

The composer uses the lush 6-voice scoring for this festive antiphon. The chant is present in the top two voices, in canon. But it's complicated: There is a rubric which instructs the second soprano to sing the same line as the first, starting later, but without breathing (that is, omit the rests) and without the dots (omit the dot on any note so marked, thus shortening said note). Both of these instructions serve to make the soprano 2 part shorter than the soprano 1 part. In addition, in the first part of the motet, the second soprano enters a fourth below the first soprano; while in the second part, the second soprano begins and the first soprano enters later, a fourth above the second part.

Meanwhile, the other four voices dance below, freely imitating the chant when they see fit,
breaking free from it when inspired so to do.

This all results in a Bachian level of complexity. But clearly Manchicourt can handle it. Rather than sounding dry and intellectual, it sounds to me very much like joy--like angels dancing blissfully on the head of a pin
--from the first note to the last.

So while we won't be changing out name anytime soon, you can best that some Manchicourt is in our mutual future!
Score and recording are attached. Make sure to check out the excellent translation and commentary by Andrew Fysh on the last page of the score.
Click here to download learning materials
Sonoma Bach  | 911 Lakeville Street #193 |  Petaluma |  CA  |  94952 
​707-347-9491 | info@sonomabach.org

Sonoma Bach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization