gloria

Composer — Timothy Corlis
Voicing + performing forces — SSAATTBB, piano
Call Number — 4772
Level — Difficult 

Gloria by Vancouver-based composer Timothy Corlis is part of a larger work entitled Missa Pax, scored for SATB choir, piano, and clarinet. The Gloria is a powerful movement that can function as a standalone work; it sets the traditional liturgical text in both English and Latin.

Corlis has written a fantastic piano part for this work; it is both satisfying and challenging for an advanced pianist. The piano continuously interacts with the vocal lines and serves an integral role in the structure of the piece.

Gloria (and the Missa Pax as a whole) is both rhythmically and vocally challenging. Corlis makes use of sustained vocal lines, rhythmically demanding counterpoint, and some extreme vocal ranges. The piece is well-suited to advanced choirs. 

What makes this work most striking are the frequent harmonic fluctuations. Corlis frequently plays with shifts of descending thirds and modal oscillation; this use of colouring serves to unify the mass, highlighting harmonic themes that return throughout the movement.

Contributed by Dr. Sara Brooks