# Great Mass in D Major



## JamieHoldham

This is a composition I have had going for a while in the sketching phases, and I think I am ready to begin it proper and start uploading images here, as you can tell from the title it is a Mass, I chose to change the key to D Major instead of Eb Major since it ends on D Major, the chord progression of the Mass is dependent on the movements, the meaning of the music and the text, as opposed to a more technical reason.

The movements will consist of;

Part 1.
Kyrie Eleison (Common time, Eb Major, Andante tempo, SATB chorus, Fuga)
Christe Eleison (Common time, Bb Major, Adagietto, aria for Tenor)
Gloria (2/4 time, D Major, Allegro, SATB chorus)
Et in terra pax (Common time, D Major, Adagio, SATB chorus)
Laudamus te (Common time, C Major, Moderato, aria for 1 Soprano, 1 Alto)
Gratias Agimus (Cut time, D Major, Moderato, SATB chorus)
Domine Deus (Common time, E Minor, Adante, Aria for Basso)
Qui Tollis (Common time, D Minor, Adagio, SATB chorus)
Qui Sedes (3/4 time, C Major, Adante, aria for SATB soloists)
Quoniam (3/4 time, E Minor, Adante, aria for Tenor and Basso)
Cum Sancto Spirito (2/4 time, D Major, Allegro, SATB chorus)

Part 2.
Credo (Cut time, E minor, Moderato, SATB chorus, Fuga)
Et in unum Dominum (Common time, D Major, Adante, Aria for 2 Sopranos)
Ex incarnatus est (Common time, F Sharp Minor, Adagio, SATB chorus)
Crucifixus (Cut time, Eb Major, Moderato, SATB chorus)
Ex resurrexit (Common time, E Major, Allegro, SATB chorus)
Et in spiritum Sanctum (3/4 time, E Minor, Adante, aria for Tenor)
Confiteor unum baptisma (Common time, E Minor, Moderato, SATB chorus, Fuga)
Et expecto ressurectionem (2/4 time, D major, Allegro, SATB chorus, Fughetta)

Part 3.
Sanctus (Common time, D Major, Allegro, SATB Chorus)

Part 4.
Osanna in Excelsis (3/4 time, D Major, Allegro, SATB chorus)
Benedictus (Common time, C Major, Adante, aria for SATB soloists)
Agnus Dei (Common time, Bb Major, Adagio, aria for Countertenor)
Dona Nobis Pacem (Cut time, D Major, Allegro, SATB chorus)

This is the outline I have made for all the movements for now, although that can change as I go through and compose the movements, on top of all the sketches I will end up making.

This reason I am making such a large and complex work is not only to show everything I have learnt thus far and put it to the test by making it into a multi-movement large scale work, but also I dont care what anyone else thinks of me for doing this, but I also want to get myself known, and potentially get hired to compose somewhere, particularly in a Church since this music is of course wholly religous, so I will try and send off my work temporaily to other famous composers and people who could potentially hire me to try and secure a place for myself in this world, where I could finally do what I know and love.

I will make my plans known that I have been thinking about deciding to create a Cantata every 2 weeks starting from the Advent, to also cover Christmas, Epiphany, Pre-Lent, Lent, Easter, Pentecost to Trinity, Sundays after Trinity, Purification, Annuciation, St.Johns day / St. Johns Passion, Visitation, St.Michaels day / Saint Matthew Passion, Reformation day, also wedding and funeral events.

Ambitious? Certainly but only if I could get hired to compose these pieces would I be able to fully dedicate myself to it and be able to compose a Cantata every week or two.

For now I will stick to this Mass and my other compositions, will upload pages as I go along.


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## Vasks

If you want the piece to be in "E-flat" then you really should end in "E-flat"; otherwise don't say it's in "E-flat"


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## Pugg

> For now I will stick to this Mass and my other compositions, will upload pages as I go along.


Looking forward to it .


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## JamieHoldham

Vasks said:


> If you want the piece to be in "E-flat" then you really should end in "E-flat"; otherwise don't say it's in "E-flat"


Valid point, I have checked over and corrected it, now the Great Mass in D Major.


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## JamieHoldham

Uploading a teaser for now, just the Title page but also the completion of the vocal introduction before the instrumental fugue + 4 voice fugue.

Title page and page 1:









*Edit: Tryed to fix the automatic rotations this website keeps doing to my photos but cant, sorry.*


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## Xinver

Great project!
I think you should care only about the length you want for your work. Sometimes the composers needs a few minutes to express what he wants, but other times he needs a complex work.


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## JamieHoldham

Xinver said:


> Great project!
> I think you should care only about the length you want for your work. Sometimes the composers needs a few minutes to express what he wants, but other times he needs a complex work.


I see your point, and through everything I have composed so far, I have found out that I do need a longer work to fully develop themes, fugues, and make use of counterpoint long enough to draw the music to a satisfiying conclusion, so from now on that is what I intend, apart from works which are just 1 movement, or I feel don't need to last very long.


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## Vasks

You don't get it, Jamie. Tradition has it that a tonal piece in a major key STARTS & ENDS in the same major key. The middle ones can be in other keys. The only exceptions are (1) If you start in E-flat minor you can end in E-flat major (or rarely the reverse) or (2) start in E-flat minor and end in the relative major key of G-flat.

For example Beethoven's 9th is in D-minor but the finale ends in D major. Mahler's 2nd is in C minor, but ends in E-flat major (the relative major of C minor)


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## arnerich

Vasks said:


> You don't get it, Jamie. Tradition has it that a tonal piece in a major key STARTS & ENDS in the same major key. The middle ones can be in other keys. The only exceptions are (1) If you start in E-flat minor you can end in E-flat major (or rarely the reverse) or (2) start in E-flat minor and end in the relative major key of G-flat.
> 
> For example Beethoven's 9th is in D-minor but the finale ends in D major. Mahler's 2nd is in C minor, but ends in E-flat major (the relative major of C minor)


I just thought he was doing a Mahler's 5th half step sort of thing, it starts in c sharp minor and ends in D major.


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## Vasks

arnerich said:


> I just thought he was doing a Mahler's 5th half step sort of thing, it starts in c sharp minor and ends in D major.


Well, yes he does, but it's often identified as Symphony No. 5 in c#-D; acknowledging it is not in a single key. The same with his 7th that is listed as e-C & the 9th as D-Db.


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## EdwardBast

JamieHoldham said:


> I see your point, and through everything I have composed so far, I have found out that *I do need a longer work to fully develop themes, fugues, and make use of counterpoint long enough to draw the music to a satisfiying conclusion*, so from now on that is what I intend, apart from works which are just 1 movement, or I feel don't need to last very long.


As yet you have posted only fragments and sketches for very short works that have remained unfinished. Do you have an example we can hear of one of these longer works that has come "to a satisfying conclusion?"


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## JamieHoldham

EdwardBast said:


> As yet you have posted only fragments and sketches for very short works that have remained unfinished. Do you have an example we can hear of one of these longer works that has come "to a satisfying conclusion?"


My Ave Verum Corpus and Ave Maria have reached a satisfiying conclusion in my eyes, I just want to expand the length of my works from now on, so you'll just have to wait and see


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## JamieHoldham

Vasks said:


> View attachment 88691
> 
> 
> You don't get it, Jamie. Tradition has it that a tonal piece in a major key STARTS & ENDS in the same major key. The middle ones can be in other keys. The only exceptions are (1) If you start in E-flat minor you can end in E-flat major (or rarely the reverse) or (2) start in E-flat minor and end in the relative major key of G-flat.
> 
> For example Beethoven's 9th is in D-minor but the finale ends in D major. Mahler's 2nd is in C minor, but ends in E-flat major (the relative major of C minor)


I understand what you say, but I have opted to use progressive tonality, ending in a key different to what it began in, it is something that will suit the dark mood of the first prayer Kyrie to the ending movement - Dona Nobis Pacem. If you have further objections fair enough, but this is how I will compose the piece.


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## Vasks

JamieHoldham said:


> I understand what you say, but I have opted to use progressive tonality, ending in a key different to what it began in


It is certainly not a problem. You can do whatever. But by so doing, you should drop the usage of saying it's in a key. Just call it "Mass" or "Great Mass"


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## JamieHoldham

Vasks said:


> It is certainly not a problem. You can do whatever. But by so doing, you should drop the usage of saying it's in a key. Just call it "Mass" or "Great Mass"


Well it's written down now, so I will just leave it as it is for now. Just like Bach's Mass is in B minor, yet only few movements have it and it ends on D Major.


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## Vasks

Exactly! D major is the relative major of b minor. You made my point.


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