by Jeffrey Ostrowski
Kevin Allen's Cantiones Sacrae Simplices is a beautiful collection of twelve sacred motets (SATB), which perfectly exemplify contemporary sacred music composed according to the Church's tradition. Mr. Curtis' practice videos present each line of every piece in four (4) different ways. It is well known how daunting a cappella polyphonic works can be to sing, but Mr. Curtis' vast experience with choral pedagogy are a tremendous help in this regard and will be welcomed. An audio CD is also available for those who lack internet access.
A note from the composer follows:
"I have composed the Cantiones Sacrae Simplices to serve the needs of diligent choirmasters who desire liturgical motets for use at Holy Mass and at other times when a short, Latin choral work might be useful. The texts have been drawn from the Graduale Romanum. The harmonic language and general musical demands are relatively modest compared to the motets of the Cantiones Sacrae I and II collections, making Cantiones Sacrae Simplices accessible to many more choirs and vocal ensembles. Matthew Curtis' renditions have captured the spirit of my compositions in an admirable way."
The following is an example of Mr. Curtis' artistry ("Panem de Caelo"):
For all these videos, Mr. Curtis himself sings all the parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass), and the perfection with which he accomplishes this feat leaves critics searching for superlatives. In less than a year, Mr. Curtis has also uploaded more than 600 choral training videos to his website, ChoralTracks.com, and has been featured on several Corpus Christi Watershed collections, including Kevin Allen's Motecta Trium Vocum (twelve sacred motets for three voices).
