The Music

CHORAL PIECES
The pieces on this page, (unless otherwise noted) are performed by “The John Monto Singers” This group lives within my computer. In other words, they are synthesized yet brought to life by some amazing software. See the TOOLS page for a description of how it’s done. My hope is to replace these files (soon) with performances by living people. I am hoping to find, or gather, a small ensemble to record them. Any volunteers?

May The God of Peace (Paul’s Benedictions)

May the God of peace be with you
May He completely sanctify you
May He perfect you in all that you do, that it may please His sight
May He grant you comfort and peace
May He grant you all that you need
May He establish His gospel in you, without blame in His sight.
Watch, stand fast in faith, be brave, be strong, Let all that you do be done with love
May the peace and love and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

“May the God of Peace (Paul’s Benedictions)” is a short piece written as a blessing. The text is a combination of the closing benedictions found at the end of his Epistles. The idea for this piece came as I was looking at the different Epistles and noticed that in most of them he had some for of blessing or closing benediction. I thought it would be interesting to combine them into a blessing and set the text to music.

I do apologize for the recording. There are a couple of spots that sound glitchy which is a result of the software files. I was not able to clean them up to my liking but hopefully it wont detract form the piece. Ill have to keep working on it….

Exultate

This text for this piece is comes from Psalm 33 “Rejoice in the Lord”.

I started this piece several years ago. I wanted to compose a piece that used different time signatures and styles, and, well, this is the result. The text is one of rejoicing and singing praise. Joy can be felt in different ways – excitement, happiness, peace… Each of the sections in this work tires to capture those different feeling.

Exultate justi, in Domino; rectos decet collaudatio. Confitemini Domino in cithara; in psalterio decem chordarum, psallite illi. Cantate ei canticum novum; bene psallite ei in voci feratione. Quia rectum est verbum Domini, et omnia opera ejus in fide. Diligit misericordiam et judicium, misericordia Domini, plena est terra.

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous for the upright is worthy of praise.Sing praises to the Lord with harp, with a psalter of ten strings. Sing to him a new song, Sing praises to him with a loud voice. For the word of the Lord is right, and his works are done in truth. He loves righteousness and judgement,the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

I Sleep

I Sleep is a “Tone Poem” I composed based on the text from Song of Solomon 5:2a &6a. The text is as follows – 2a I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: 6a I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: The two versers for this composition was joined together in the following way.

I sleep, I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved who knocks saying, “Open for me, my love Open for me, my dove, Open for me, my perfect one; open for me”. I opened for my love. opened but my beloved had turned away and was gone.

As much as I tried, I could not quite get my “choir” to perform all the little vocal nuances I wanted in the piece, so this is as close as it gets.

Come People

This text is the English translation of the communion antiphon, Venite populi. The origin of this antiphon is from the Galician and Milanese rites. This was one if the first pieces I composed when I started composing seriously. In this recording, the piece is performed by the Diocesan Choir at one of the Parish Life confrences.

Come people to offer the Holy Sacrifice. Let us come with fear and faith, to receive the gift of pardon with clean hands. For the Lamb of God is offered a sacrifice to His Father. Him alone we adore, Him we glorify, crying with the angels: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Ave Maria

This piece I composed one Saturday afternoon while playing around on the keyboard. I had not intended to write an Ave that day, but as the piece took shape it was obvious that the text fit perfectly, and so there it was. The recording here is done by my trusty choir, The John Monto Singers.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.

The English translation is as follows.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and in the hour of our death.

Veni Sancte Spiritus

This piece is based on the text of the Sequence Hymn for Pentecost. One thing this piece highlights is the beauty of dissonance. On its own, dissonance can sound harsh, but when heard in context of a chord or passage, it can bring radiance. I think there is a life lesson in there somewhere…

Veni, Sancte Spiritus, et emitte caelitus lucis tuae radium.
Veni, pater pauperum, veni, dator munerum, veni, lumen cordium.
Consolator optime dulcis hospes animae, dulce refrigerium.
In labore requies, in aestu temperies, in fletu solatium.
O lux beatissima, reple cordis intima tuorum fidelium.
Sine tuo numine, nihil est in homine, nihil est innoxium.
Lava quod est sordidum, riga quod est aridum, sana quod est saucium.
Flecte quod est rigidum, fove quod est frigidum, rege quod est devium.
Da tuis fidelibus, in te confidentibus, sacrum septenarium.
Da virtutis meritum, da salutis exitum, da perenne gaudium.

The English translation is as follows
Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light.
Come, father of the poor, come, giver of gifts, come, light of the heart.
Greatest comforter, sweet guest of the soul, sweet consolation.
In labor, rest, in heat, temperance, in tears, solace.
O most blessed light, fill the inmost heart of your faithful.
Without your grace, there is nothing in us, nothing that is not harmful.
Cleanse that which is unclean, water that which is dry, heal that which is wounded.
Bend that which is inflexible, fire that which is chilled, correct what goes astray.
Give to your faithful, those who trust in you, the sevenfold gifts.
Grant the reward of virtue, grant the deliverance of salvation, grant eternal joy.

Agnus Dei

This is the first piece I completed with orchestra (that I liked). The text comes from the Gospel of John 1:29. This piece uses the Latin for “Lamb of God” Agnus Dei, but then switches to English. Omitted from the text is the last sentence “Grant us thy peace (dona nobis pacem)” or in the context of a Requiem “Grant the rest” (dona eis requiem). If used in a liturgical setting the last set of Agnus Dei can be modified with the appropriate ending.

Agnus Dei (4x)
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us, mercy upon us
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us, mercy upon us.
Agnus Dei (4x)

Cherubic Hymn

This piece takes it text from the Cherubic Hymn found in the Orthodox Liturgy. I composed this piece in honor of the 20th anniversary of the founding of Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Linthicum, MD. which fell on the September 14th, 2013 – Feast of the Holy Cross. This piece was sung during the liturgical services that week-end.

We who mystically (3x) represent the Cherubim
And sing, and sing, and sing the thrice Holy hymn
to the life giving Trinity, lay aside all earthly cares.
That we may receive the King of all, who comes invisibly up-borne by the angelic hosts, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Arlington

Please see the next page for ‘Arlington‘ written on Memorial Day in remembrance of those who gave of themselves. (or click here)