Scores

Atto penitenziale (Soli) - mp3 - 8b-2, 9/14/2013

From the collection “Chiesa di Dio, popolo in festa” (EDB 1986) by rev. GianCarlo Soli published for the 1987 eucharistic congress in Bologna (see Alleluia and Agnello di Dio as well). I would like to quote a little excerpt written by rev. GianCarlo himself as a preface of this work:

“I finish by quoting the introductory note of the new missal (second edition): Charismas and ministries find in the Eucharist their source of inspiration and the operating field. During celebration not all have to do it all but everybody has its specific task: everyone has to carry out what belongs to him. Active attendance requires a plurality of interventions, from the ministering to the reader, to the psalmist, to the choir, to the assembly music animator

…

In this service harmonized choral, liturgy offers an image of the Church that, in every experience, builds itself with the contribution of all”.

Brilla una luce in cielo (Migliavacca) - mp3 - 78-1, 12/26/2013

Version 2 - mp3 - 102-1, 12/17/2014

Christmas carol whose ascription I believe should be assigned to rev. Luciano Migliavacca even if it was presented as from unknown author in the first editions ascribing to Migliavacca only the organ and four-voices choir elaboration. Transcription made for liturgical purposes. The second version maybe fits better in case you have to sing while playing (as I have to do by necessity)

Canzone di San Damiano (Donovan) - mp3 - Tab - 19b-1, 6/21/2014, original in F, arrangement Ortolani

It’s a long time since I started “playing” with this song and, although it is not a liturgical text (for the few who don’t know, it is extracted from the Zeffirelli’s Fratello sole sorella luna soundtrack), I admit that I used it sometimes. After some arrangements I propose it for I think that there is something good, in spite of its simplicity. During the movie it is presented twice, the second time adding some verses. I have used the first version for it seems to me more adequate and basic. I think that an instrumental coda can fit well.

Il Signore è il mio pastore (Passoni) - mp3 (voice and guitar) - Tab - 22b-2, 6/26/2009, original in A moll, harmonization Soli

violin (or other instrument) accompaniment - mp3 - v2, 3/1/2014

This really popular song, which text has been written by Father Turoldo on a melody by Ismaele Passoni, has been brightly harmonized by rev. GianCarlo Soli (for 4-voices choir). This transcription largely benefits of the harmonic richness of this version. Transcription made for parish liturgical use and performed many times with quite good results. Here you can also find an easy accompaniment thought for a violin that I executed frequently with good effects. It is written in F sharp moll for this fits better for the assembly.

Isaia 62 (Gardi) - mp3 - 235-1, 9/4/2017

Version 2 - 235b-1, 9/4/2017, Version 3 - (Arr. Ragno - 9/4/2017), Version 4 - (harm. Vecchi, Rinaldi - 235d-1, 9/16/2017) - Tab

One of the song choosen for the Holy mass of October 1st 2017 in Bologna celebrated by Pope Francesco. It has become popular in Bologna and it is used expecially for weddings. Here you can find 3 versions written starting by Rev. Francesco Vecchi harmonization. Two are mine, the third is from Gianni who made a beautiful work you can find in the Harmony workshop section. Then a final version written so to adapt to some modifications by Rinaldi who wrote the scores for flutes and clarinet.

O Signore nostro Dio (Soli) - 35-1, 5/29/2010, original in F

Version 2 - mp3 (voice and guitar) - 35b-1, 3/22/2014, original in F

This canon hides a deep harmonic complexity behind a melody not difficult to learn. It was born like a joke and the original score was attached with the “end of season” greetings for the singer of the Bologna Cathedral Choir in the mid-80s. I liked it a lot and I started to make it known in my parish first and then to the Bologna Diocesan Youth Choir. Here you can find two different transcriptions that try to keep all the harmonic architecture complexity and a third (Version 2) really simplified. I use the first version quite often with good results (maybe it is one of the work of which I am most satisfied).

Quanto sono amabili (Arguello) - 377-1, 11/13/2020

Variant 1 - mp3 (guitar) - 377b-1, 11/16/2020

Version 2 - mp3 (guitar) - 385-1, 2/27/2021

Two possible variants for a simple accompaniment of this Arguello's tune from neo-catecuminal's repertory. I was asked to work on this tune by my new friend Ugo who also sent me the score in C but letting me know that the author himself uses to play it in D. This is why I decided to propone these variants using the two keys.

Then I reviewed everything trying to stay closer to the rythmic used from Arguello himself. I inserted a new introduction, too, taken from a video easily recoverable on youtube, leaving on the score the melody that can be played by a flute or other solo instruments.

Sai dov'è fratello mio (Mendelssohn) - mp3 - Tab - 292-1, 4/27/2019, original in F

I beg pardon to Rev. Ruaro for I "plagiarized" this transcription. As I had to use this hymn during Easter Vigil and as I had really a short time and as I dicovered that the melody we use in Bologna dioceses (see Repertorio Nazionale - Appendice Diocesi Bologna) differs slightly from the one used by Ruaro, I did not used his excellent (unpublished) version and I preferred to lower it one tone while simplifying it at my best. Let's say that its easiness is the only "quality"

Santo (Bonfitto) - mp3 - 97-1, 8/11/2014

This melody is often used but often badly. Please, pay attention to bar 6 (first note is a quaver !!) and to bar 19 (the three quavers are at the same height !!). But these kind of errors are not surprising. The main point is the last chord (and, consequently, the final note). It has been DELIBERATELY written a dominant chord - D major - that DELIBERATELY gives a suspension effect. The author put it to avoid an ending sensation so to underline that this chant is the beginning of the Eucharistic prayer. So, please, think at it. If you like, it's ok, else it is better if you do not use it !

Sei tu Signore il pane (Soli) - mp3 - 140-1, 1/2/2016, original in G

Though it uses the same lyrics from Eugenio Costa, it is not the well known choral from Kirbye (of which you can find a notable transcription from Ruaro in his “Sulle corde e sui flauti”) but it is a variant written by GianCarlo Soli, published in his "Chiesa di Dio, popolo in festa" and used for a certain time in the Bologna diocese during many solemnities. The first verse was normally used as the refrain and sung with one voice, the others as verses and sung in 4 voices.

Sotto la tua protezione (Ragno) - mp3 (voice and guitar) - mp3 (guitar) - 379-1, 12/19/2020

My friend Gianni Ragno agreed to modify his choral (that I did already propose here), to let me have a sort of song-prayer thought for the end of a celebration.
Thus, Gianni has extracted an anthem to sing the first time before the prayer, the second time at its end.
The text (originally Sub tuum presidium) is one of the oldest "tropairon" dedicated to Mary; here is a translation in English:
Beneath your compassion,
We take refuge, O Theotokos [God-bearer]:
do not despise our petitions in time of trouble:
but rescue us from dangers,
only pure, only blessed one.

Symbolum '77 (Sequeri) - mp3 (voice and guitar) - 107-1, 2/6/2015

I discovered an old score of mine (probably is dated back to the first 80s) I propose it as I wrote it. It was one of my very first trials (maybe the first one) but it seems to me that it is not so bad. At the time I had the complete score and also an accompaniment for a flute written by rev. GianCarlo Soli that I should have used as a reference. This could explain some “whimsical” choices. I recall that there is a good transcription in the book "Chitarra e liturgia" from Pierangelo Ruaro and a final version in his collection "Sulle corde e sui flauti".

Tu scendi dalle stelle(Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori) - mp3 - 76-2, 12/21/2013, original in F, harmonization Soli

violin (or other instrument) accompaniment - mp3 - v1, 15/12/2013

This is one of the most popular Christmas carols, here I present a version based on the rev. GianCarlo Soli’s harmonization. As it happens with many pieces with a contemporary style harmonization, the result is not so satisfying because I cannot move with enough ease. This transcription was made for a little parish Christmas recital but with the intent of inserting it in the Christmas liturgies. I also wrote a simple violin accompaniment made for the same occasion. It is written in D major but it can be easily transported. The experiment was good so we used it also in some Christmas masses.