The COVID-19 pandemic has brought most collaborative in person music making to a halt. Us choir directors are often working on digital projects/rehearsals with our singers/students to keep some music making going during social distancing and quarantines!
What us conductors can do is peruse great music for future rehearsing and performing. Here are six pieces appropriate for high school and college level groups by six great composers.
***Disclaimer: I am not being remunerated or even asked to promote these composers and their pieces, but I do retail music with MusicSpoke, from which comes one of these pieces.***
Linda Kachelmeier – “Winds Through The Olive Trees” – https://www.lindakachelmeier.com/works/winds-through-olive-trees
Here is a hauntingly beautiful Christmas piece for flute and SATB. It divides the choir into SSA-SATB for a substantial part of the piece. While the vocal demand on singers is quite easy, the demand for musicality and expression needs to be high to have a most effective performance. ______________________________________________________________________________
Casey Rule – “Danny Boy” – http://notenova.com/catalog/work/danny-boy/
Here is a setting of the famous poem and tune that is quite traditional, but fresh. This setting is filled with moving parts, but with distinct moments of homo-rhythm that bring out deep feeling. I personally find it one of the most attractive SATB settings of “Danny Boy” I’ve perused. If done well, it could be deeply moving with audiences. ______________________________________________________________________________
Steven Sametz – “There is no Rose of Such Virtue” – http://notenova.com/catalog/work/there-is-no-rose-of-such-virtue/
This setting is stunning! If you have a quality Soprano soloist, this piece could be a highlight at a Christmas or Winter concert. Good balance in the choir parts will be key to making the performance effective. Interspersed between lines of the medieval poem are Latin phrases, which act as a reaction and response to the descriptions given in the poetry of Mary and the Christ Child. ______________________________________________________________________________
Timothy Paul Banks – “Little David, Play On Y’ Harp” – https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/search.jsp?keywords=timothy+paul+banks+little+david
Here is a super fun arrangement of the well known Spiritual that has potential to bring down the house in a program as a closing or highlight piece. The chorus and verses run in a relatively straight forward, but pleasing course, which gives way to a closing section of layering and rhythmic interest. Two quality soprano soloists are required to pull off the top layers. This piece is characterized by joy and rhythmic vitality. ______________________________________________________________________________
Kurt Knecht – “Esa Enai” – https://musicspoke.com/downloads/esa-einai/
This is a moving setting of the first four verses of Psalm 121 in Hebrew. A mournful triumph is brought out by what ultimately seems like a piece-long crescendo (not literally, but in intense build up). The piece, while powerful, is actually quite accessible. It is written for TTBB as well as SATB. ______________________________________________________________________________
Michael Kaulkin – “Fare Ye Well My Darlin'” – https://www.swirlymusic.org/music/choral-music/michael-kaulkin-fare-ye-well-my-darlin-for-satb-choir-a-cappella/
Here is a moving Civil War farewell that could be a deep emotional moment in a program. Some vocal dexterity is required to accurately navigate large jumps into the passaggio from (especially) bass and alto parts. Understanding and emotional connection to the text by the singers will be key in presenting this beautifully written piece most effectively. ______________________________________________________________________________
If you have not done so, I would like to invite you to peruse and listen to some of my available scores here.
Click here to receive to my email newsletter about the latest blog posts and great repertoire!