Mistaking earth with Heaven!

The Ecstasy of St. Cecilia by Raphael

Voice leading challenge:
Supply the soprano part to the above excerpt which is taken from my Processional March in C Major (try not to look at the answer ahead of time).

Sight-reading:
Allein Gott in der Hoh' sei Ehr, var. 5-8 (p. 7) by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621), the Great Orpheus of Amsterdam, also called Maker of German Organists (Deutsche Organistenmacher).

Hymn playing:
Come Down, O Love Divine

Happy Saint Cecilia Day!

I wish all my readers creative minds and open hearts, fierce fingers and brave feet, daring ears and focused eyes, immovable will and generous persistence to notice and share all the wonders we face every day so that like in the case of the organ playing of Saint Cecilia, an angel might descend to us mistaking earth with Heaven!

In the meantime, I want you to listen to extraordinary improvisations of Olivier Latry, the titular organist of Notre Dame in Paris in honor of Saint Cecilia, recorded by Pipedreams on March 23, 2004. Dual temperament organ by Martin Pasi.

These are the improvisations on the Liturgical Windows of the Cathedral of Saint Cecilia in Omaha, NE (USA): Magnificat; Gloria; Stabat Mater; Victimae Paschali; Veni Sancte Spiritus; Pange Lingua; Dies Irae; Te Deum. At the beginning the Schola Cantorum of the Cathedral of Saint Cecilia sings the Hymn to Saint Cecilia by Richard Proulx which is gracefully followed by Latry's improvisations. The motives of this hymn serve as the refrain to connect all 8 improvisations.


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