Introducing
The Parish Book of Motets
The Parish Book of Motets is the flexible answer for Catholic choirs across America to build a practical repertoire of sacred polyphony. The book contains fifty-four motets of varying difficulty in English and Latin specially curated for the average parish choir.
-
54 motets in English and Latin
-
Eucharistic motets, Marian hymns, and motets for general use on Sundays
-
Accompaniment book with closed scores for easy rehearsals
-
Online Practice Recordings for Each Motet
-
Spiral Bound for Easy Use
“This is the most spectacular resource for Catholic choirs of all sizes. The three- and four-part motets in English and Latin are incredibly versatile. This is a must-have for any choir!”
Dr. Nathan Knutson
The Parish Book of Motets is the flexible answer to Catholic choirs looking to build a practical repertoire of sacred polyphony.
The third publication in the series of a growing answer to Catholic parishes’ needs, The Parish Book of Motets follows the popular The Parish Book of Chant and The Parish Book of Psalms. Catholic parishes, especially those with beginning choirs or small budgets, can look to The Parish Book of Motets for a repertoire of good-quality, accessible choral music, in accurate and clear printed editions with helpful commentary, and accompanying practice tracks.
Designed to be flexible for year-round use, almost all of the motets in the book are suitable for use throughout the entire liturgical year—Eucharistic motets, Marian hymns and antiphons, and motets for general use on Sundays.
For thoughtful variety, the book includes both a capella and accompanied selections of varying difficulty, some selections in English—including well-known Renaissance pieces by Farrant and Tallis as well as twentieth-century selections by Charles Wood and Healey Willan, and Latin sacred polyphony.
The most famous composers of the high Renaissance are all represented with multiple pieces—Byrd, Croce, Palestrina, Lassus, and Victoria—but the book also includes singable and attractive pieces from the earlier generations of Renaissance composers, such as Compère, Weerbeke, Josquin, La Rue, Clemens, and Willaert. Later traditions of choral music are represented by composers such as Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Elgar, Bruckner, Saint-Saëns, and Fauré, as well as the contributions by contemporary composers Kevin Allen, Paul Jernberg, and Nicholas Lemme.
All the motets have been newly edited for The Parish Book of Motets from original sources, to provide clear and accurate scores that are easy to read.
Order The Parish Book of Motets Now
Practice Tracks
Each of the 54 compositions in The Parish Book of Motets is accompanied by high-quality practice tracks highlighting each one of the voice parts individually, all voice parts together, and accompaniment only.
Listen to the examples below of Edward Elgar’s Ave Verum Corpus.
Ave Verum Corpus (SATB)
Ave Verum Corpus (Tenor)
Free Practice Recordings
Over 1000 Minutes of Practice Music
Ave Verum Corpus (Accompaniment)
Editions for Choir and Accompanist
VOCAL EDITION
The Parish Book of Motets presents 54 motets in new engravings with modern notation, many of them newly transcribed from Renaissance sources. The scores were edited and prepared by Aaron James, musicologist (Ph.D., Eastman) and expert on 16th-century motet printing. Dr. James’ critical commentary on the motets is included in the vocal edition.
FOR THE ACCOMPANIST
The accompaniment edition of The Parish Book of Motets offers piano reductions of the motets for rehearsal use. This 300-page edition was also edited for the Church Music Association of America by Aaron James, who holds the title of Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
Free Parish Book of Motets Resources
Score PDFs
Full vocal scores and piano reductions for rehearsal are available freely in electronic form and also in print.
Search & share Links
Each motet is easy to access with its own link, and can be shared with choir members and others by using the clickable “copy link” button.
Practice Tracks
High-quality studio rehearsal recordings are available: in Full Choir form and as Emphasized tracks for each voice part, along with Muted tracks for each vocal part, allowing each voice to practice in a variety of ways.
Full Contents
Accendat in nobis, Nicholas Lemme
Agnus Dei (from Missa Servite Domino), Bernabei
Agnus Dei, Morley
Ave gratia plena, Verdonck
Ave Maria, Handl (attr. Victoria)
Ave Maria, Willaert
Ave Maria … Virgo serena, Josquin des Prez
Ave maris stella, Monteverdi
Ave verum corpus, Byrd
Ave verum corpus, Elgar
Ave verum corpus, Pearsall
Ave verum corpus in E flat, Saint-Saëns
Benedicam Dominum, Croce
Calix benedictionis, Kevin Allen
Call to remembrance, Farrant
Cantate Domino, Pitoni
Caro mea, Andrea Gabrieli
Cherubic Hymn (simple & longer forms), Paul F. Jernberg
Ego sum panis vivus, Byrd
Exaudi Deus, Lassus
Exsultate justi, Viadana
Exultate Deo, Scarlatti
Gaudent in caelis, Victoria
Gloria tibi Domine, Clemens non Papa
If ye love me, Tallis
Jesu rex admirabilis, Palestrina (SAB)
Jesu rex admirabilis, Palestrina (SSA or TTB)
Jesu the very thought is sweet, Wood
Jesus junxit se, Palestrina
Locus iste, Bruckner
Magnificat octavi toni, Lassus
Maria mater gratiae, Fauré
O bone Jesu, Ingegneri
O bone Jesu, Manchicourt
O Domine Jesu Christe, Aichinger
O genitrix gloriosa / Ave virgo, Compère
O how sweet O Lord, Willan
O Jesu Christe, Mantua
O quam suavis, Vivanco
O sacrum convivium, Croce
O salutaris hostia, Pierre de la Rue
Panis angelicus, Weerbeke
Regina caeli, Palestrina
Sacerdotes Domini, Byrd
Salve regina, op. 107, no. 4, Rheinberger
Sancta Maria, Victoria
Scio enim, Lassus
Sicut cervus, Palestrina
Sitivit anima mea, Palestrina
Tantum ergo, Bruckner
Tu pauperum refugium, Josquin des Prez
Venite comedite, Byrd
Voce mea, Croce
Accendat in nobis, Lemme
Agnus Dei, Bernabei
Agnus Dei, Morley
Ave gratia plena, Verdonck
Ave Maria, Handl (attr. Victoria)
Ave Maria, Willaert
Ave Maria … Virgo serena, Josquin
Ave maris stella, Monteverdi
Ave verum, Byrd
Ave verum, Elgar
Ave verum, Pearsall
Ave verum in E flat, Saint-Saëns
Benedicam Dominum, Croce
Calix benedictionis, Kevin Allen
Call to remembrance, Farrant
Cantate Domino, Pitoni
Caro mea, Andrea Gabrieli
Cherubic Hymn, Jernberg (l)
Cherubic Hymn, Jernberg (s)
Ego sum panis vivus, Byrd
Exaudi Deus, Lassus
Exsultate justi, Viadana
Exultate Deo, Scarlatti
Gaudent in caelis, Victoria
Gloria tibi, Clemens non Papa
If ye love me, Tallis
Jesu rex admirabilis, Palestrina (SAB, SSA or TTB)
Jesu the very thought, Wood
Jesus junxit se, Palestrina
Locus iste, Bruckner
Magnificat octavi toni, Lassus
Maria mater gratiae, Fauré
O bone Jesu, Ingegneri
O bone Jesu, Manchicourt
O Domine Jesu Christe, Aichinger
O genitrix / Ave virgo, Compère
O how sweet O Lord, Willan
O Jesu Christe, Mantua
O quam suavis, Vivanco
O sacrum convivium, Croce
O salutaris hostia, Pierre de la Rue
Panis angelicus, Weerbeke
Regina caeli, Palestrina
Sacerdotes Domini, Byrd
Salve regina, op. 107, no. 4, Rheinberger
Sancta Maria, Victoria
Scio enim, Lassus
Sicut cervus, Palestrina
Sitivit anima mea, Palestrina
Tantum ergo, Bruckner
Tu pauperum refugium, Josquin
Venite comedite, Byrd
Voce mea, Croce