Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

This Mass setting has a number of optional parts. In this way it may cater for a variety of musical resources in a parish. The accompaniment part may be played on either organ, piano or keyboard. It may be sung throughout as either a cantor led setting, a choral setting, or a congregational (unison) setting.

In the Gloria there is an optional ostinato, labeled as for the congregation. This part may be omitted, but may be sung in English, if preferred, as provided in the score.

It may be found convenient to have a cantor sing the 'voices' part in the Gloria while the congregation repeats the ostinato. The ostinato also recurs as a response after each section and may simply be performed that way. At each response it is sung twice, so the congregation may echo the cantor/choir if desired.

The title of this mass setting makes it sound like a type of pizza! It does not take its name from that, nor from three-flavoured ice cream. In most movements and particularly in the Agnus Dei there is, however, an obvious use, even if only once, of the Neapolitan sixth chord. This harmonic device has 'flavoured' this setting.

Work Details

Year: 2003

Instrumentation: Congregation, cantor or unison voice choir. 2nd part in some movements (optional). Piano or organ or keyboard.

Duration: 6 min.

Difficulty: Easy

First performance: 20 Sep 09. St John’s Church, Gordon, NSW.