Stephen - a few nits - from my perspective.

 

1. Finding a priest these days who actually can pronounce the Latin of the Mass (let alone actually know it) is increasingly unlikely -- except MAYBE in those parishes who celebrate the Tridentine Rite.

2. Starting  with a concept of pure vowels is a good start, but you won't get more than a few words into any of the Latin texts before the question of open and closed syllables raises its ugly head.

3. Not every combination of two vowels is a diphthong (not dip-thong, please, although it is rarely pronounced correctly these days).

For example, a recent discussion centered on "sequuntur", in which the two central u vowels actually form two separate syllables. So learning how to identify syllable breaks is also important.

4. Many of what may appear to be diphthongs are NOT. Some sound as a single letter: (ae) (oe) sound the same as "e".

Some other are meant to be reiterated.

(au) as in Laudate can be treated as a glide.

(ei) is two distinct pure vowels (Dei). Etc.

 

I know you were speaking in generalities to make it as simple as possible, but it's not simple -- relying on what you HEAR needs the monitoring influence of understanding how it is written -- and conversely. Although attempting to learn pronunciation from a recording may be a starting point, or may be useful in exploring options, monkey-hear monkey-do doesn't provide much in the way of useful knowledge to take with you on your way to becoming the expert that you need to be.

 

Charles Q. Sullivan

cqsmusic(a)hotmail.com

 

 The short answer is that You are the source for that. This is a fundamental skill of a choir director. Choralnet has debated the niceties of whether Liturgical or Germano-Latin is more appropriate but in most circles, this should not even be an issue. You, if you are the director, are expected to be the expert.

 Another answer is yes, the source is a good recording. The third answer, find a Catholic priest who might be happy to recite the Latin Mass in recording.

Many of the major choral masterpieces are Liturgical Latin anyway. So learn the Mass and you have it all. By the time this is mastered, Mozart's Verspers of the Confessore is a snap.

 As a vast generality, Ecclesiatical Latin pronounces like Italian and Spanish isn't too far off at least for the vowels a,e,i,o,u which are, invariably pure unless combined into the rare dipthongs in which each member is spoken and smeered one to another (sometimes called glides). Consonants are as in Italian except he ti combination which is under examination this very instant.

 Any specifics, I'd be glad to help.

S

 Thank you Steve. Good suggestion on contacting a priest. I have a good recording.  I am looking for a place or a recording that has the words spoken so that I am able to slow down the recording to practice repeating the  sounds and words.  I've looked on u-tube and goggled but have come up short. I like your suggestion. I am preparing  to participate in a chorus festival this summer and won't be with the group until the festival. 

Interesting discussion.  Awhile back we had a discussion about pronouncing Latin in French dialect.  I was aching to find a French priest to pronounce the text of one of our concert pieces.

 I just put together a web site to help the choir that I'm a singer in learn the German pronunciation of Brahms Ein Deutsch Requiem.  I've done sites like this a few times and the choirs seem to get value out of them.

 

I'd be interested in your opinions on the general usefulness of this approach.  

 

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