Faber Baroque Choral Series - Early Baroque Church Music - For SATB

Sep 29, 2026

Faber Baroque Choral Series presents the choral work “Alleluia, Haec Dies” for SATB, with optional violin and keyboard continuo. The historical essay explains how early seventeenth-century northern Italy shaped church music through developments in vocal writing, dramatic text expression, and concertato-style counterpoint, linking these trends to the Council of Trent. Performance and editorial notes specify practical options for violin, continuo, embellishments, slurs, tempi, dynamics, and documented corrections to the edition.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time37 min

AccessFree to download

Early Baroque Church Masic

Historical Note

Hints on Performance

Editorial Note

4.8 # Faber Baroque Choral Series Ignazio DonatiALLELUIA,HAEC DIES for SATB,with optional violin and keyboard continuo 014 | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | AUTHOR
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工 | | CLASS No.
783.4 | | | ATLE
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h《C | | | | | | | BOOK No.
900971 | | | This book must be returned on or before the date shown above
to the Library from which it was borrowed
LANCASHIRE COUNTY LIBRARY
143 CORPORATION STREET,PRESTON,PR18RH | | | | ## Early Baroque Church Masic Of all the periods of change in chuich music,none is so fascinating as theearly seventeenth century,and in this age one of the areas most productivein church music that is both well-written and rewarding to perform wasnorthern Italy,the area bounded by the Venice-Bologna-Milan triangle.Many factors combined to inject a new vigour into the composing ofchurch music:the development of vocal writing and the new awareness ofthe possibilities of dramatic expression of the text,apparent in the earlyyoperas,were fused with sound contrapuntal techniques to produce thestyle of the concertato motet.The aspirations of the Council of Trent,thatthe faithful should be uplifted to devotion,were reflected in a new fervencyin church music,which can be seen either in the brilliant colours of large-scale works with instruments and solo voices,or in the prayerful approachof the smaller motet for one or two voices and organ. Standing midway between these two new forms of church music,themotet for the conventional choir in four to six parts received a new leaseof life in the early decades of the 17th century.Grandi,Donati and Crivelliwere among the most progressive composers to concern themselves withthis medium,and their clarity and simplicity of style offers a strong con-trast to the rich sonorities favoured by Prioli and by Bernardi in his lateworks. JEROME ROCHE ## Historical Note Source:Ignazio Donati,II Secondo Libro de Motetti as voci in Concerto,Venice,I629. Library of the Conservatorio G.B.Martini,Bologna. Ignazio Donati,who died c.I635,published his second book of five-partmotets while directing the music at the cathedral of Novara,not far fromMilan.He had already composed several volumes of motets for any numberup to six voices and continuo and was a competent master of the concertatostyle of church music that evolved rapidly in the early years of the seven-teenth century,being second only to Grandi in this field. ## Hints on Performance Alleluia,baec dies may be performed with or without the violin part,which adds an extra but inessential line above the four-part interplay of thevoices:there should be more than one violin if the choir is large.The con-tinuo is for organ,though a harpsichord may be used instead ifan organ isnot available.It would be possible to use both by limiting 4/4 sections tothe harpsichord and adding organ for the Alleluias.Embellishments may beadded to the continuo part by those competent to do so. ## Editorial Note All dynamics,tempi,expression marks,violin phrasings,the continuorealisation and slurs are editorial except:—In the second Alleluia sectionall slurs covering two quavers on the second beat of the bar are original(Al-le-lu-ia),and at bars 66-73 all paired quavers are likewise slurred inthe original. Note values are unchanged in the 4/4 sections,whose original timesignature is C. Corrections:—Bar33,alto:minim rest missing. 48,tenor,fourth note:undotted semibreve. 70,tenor,first note:B 82,violin,first note:G ad ALLELUIA,HAEC DIES for SATB,with optional violin and keyboard continuo Edited by Jerome Roche C I968 by Faber Music Ltd.F0062 F0062

FAQs

What ensemble forces does “Alleluia, Haec Dies” require?

It is written for SATB, with an optional violin part and a keyboard continuo (organ or harpsichord).

Can the violin and continuo be performed using different combinations?

Yes. The work may be performed with or without violin, and the continuo may be done on organ or harpsichord; both can be used by limiting 4/4 sections to harpsichord and adding organ for the Alleluias.

Which elements in the score are considered editorial versus original?

Dynamics, tempi, expression marks, violin phrasings, continuo realisation, and slurs are editorial, except for specific slurs in the second Alleluia section and in bars 66–73, which are original.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Maya Linwood