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Adam
Lay I-bounden.....TC-123.....$1.70
Dienes, Katherine
Exciting rhythms for the singers and descending pedal scales for the organist give this setting great vitality. Especially suitable for a Service of Lessons and Carols.
SA and organ; Middle English. Medium.
The
Angel Gabriel.....TC-279.....$1.70
Clarke, F.R.C. Preview
In this original setting of a traditional English carol text, the modal melody appears in unison, in a three-part harmonization, and finally in canon. The dance-like accompaniment whirls joyously to the end.
SSA and keyboard; English. Medium.
The
Animals' Carol.....TC-124.....$2.25
Williams, Felicity
The animals sing antiphonal questions and answers (in Latin) about what is happening in Bethlehem, with an exceptionally evocative piano part. Winner, 1989 Carol Writing Competition, Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto.
SA, two soprano solos, and piano; Latin and English. Easy.
Ave
Maria.....TC-135.....$1.20
Dienes, Katherine
This short gem of a setting has drones, chant fragments, and overlapping "ora pro nobis" figures which evoke the sounds of a medieval convent. Latin.
SSAA a cappella. Medium.
Ave
Maria.....TC-270.....$1.70
Fauré, Gabriel
(1845-1924)
Preview
From the master of memorable melodies, a short unison setting easy enough for children, sophisticated enough for adults. This piece has been recorded by the trebles of King’s College Choir, Cambridge, and will linger in your singers’ minds and hearts.
Unison, piano. Latin. Easy.
Ave
Maria.....TC-280.....$1.20
Tillen, Paula Foley Preview
Your experienced jazz quartet (or larger ensemble) will love this smooth arrangement of the "Jeanette, Isabella" carol with interpolated text. ("Don't be makin' a noise...")
SSAA; string bass; English; Med.-Diff..
The Burning
Babe.....TC-188.....$1.70
Boyd,
Anne Preview
The carol text is by the same
sixteenth-century poet--Robert Southwell--as the better-known "This
Little Babe." Like its sister text, it explores an unusual metaphor for
the infant Jesus--in this case, a refining fire which purifies the
believer. The strophic setting, with soprano solo, is dissonant and
chromatic, with edgy rhythms: a fine selection to balance against
sweeter Christmas settings.
SSAA a
cappella.
Medium-Difficult.
Castitatis
thalamum (Marriage bed of
chastity).....TC-111.....$1.20
Anonymous (c. 1300)
The
Christ-Child Lay in Mary's
Lap.....TC-113.....$1.20
Borroff, Edith
The text by G.K. Chesterton expresses the physical closeness of mother and child, and the wonder of the observer, in a setting with gentle, rocking rhythms and rich harmonies.
SSA a cappella; English. Medium.
A
Christmas Alleluia ("Mary, What You Going to Name That Pretty Little
Baby").....TC-139.....$1.70
Moore, Undine Smith, arr.
Antiphonal choirs and a small unison chant group exchange alleluias, while the soloist sings the melody of this spiritual written for the Spelman College Choir in 1971.
SSAA/SSAA, unison chant group, and soprano solo, a cappella; English. Medium.
Christmas
is Coming.....TC-122.....$1.70
Walter, Lana arr.
The traditional round, "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat" is set over a charmingly goofy three-part scat choral accompaniment. Soprano I section, or a guest children's chorus, can sing the round.
SSA & 2-part treble melody chorus a cappella; English. Easy.
Christmas
Theme and Variations.....TC-202.....$1.70
Andersen,
Ann Kapp Preview
The modal melody and ABBA rhyme scheme of the text (both original) make this new carol fresh and a little different. The harp part may be played on piano or harpsichord.
SSA & Harp; English. Medium.
Christus
natus hodie.....TC-154.....$1.70
Walter, Lana
Bouncy 6/8 to 3/4 metric changes, unified by an ascending figure in the short keyboard interludes, make this joyful Christmas piece a fine concert opener. Suitable for church use as well, the text is a metric version of the Christmas antiphon, "Hodie Christus natus est" ("Christ is born today").
Congratulamini
mihi, omnes (Rejoice with me).....TC-110.....$1.70
Handl, Jakob
"Rejoice with me, all ye who love the Lord" is the beginning of the text, expressing Mary's joy in a first-person responsory text incorporating parts of the Magnificat. This sturdy polyphonic setting concludes with an exultant homophonic section in triple meter.
SSAA a cappella; Latin. Medium.
December.....TC-256.....$2.25
Paula
Foley Tillen Preview
Dormi,
Jesu! (Sleep, sweet babe!).....TC-169.....$1.20
Green, Jonathan D.
This gentle, homophonic setting, with its low tessitura and repeated rhythmic pattern, would definitely comfort the baby. This piece is perfect for setting a quiet mood for a Christmas service or concert.
- SSAA a cappella; Latin
- duration: 2’10”
- range: b flat-e flat”
- difficulty: medium
Elizabeth's
"Ave".....TC-141.....$1.70
Walter, Lana
The "Ave Maria" text has interpolations (tropes) from a 12th century manuscript. The "benedictus fructus" words (from Elizabeth's greeting to Mary at the Visitation) and the lively rhythms express Elizabeth's joy in greeting her pregnant cousin, as the infant John the Baptist leaps in her womb.
SSA and keyboard; Latin. Medium.
Four
Old English Carols.....TC-183.....$2.85
Holst, Gustav (1874-1934)
These carols are of modest scale but great effect, written with sensitivity and economy so as not to overwhelm the original texts. The variety of voicings and accompaniments provides fine contrasts within the set.
- A Babe is Born
- SSA, soprano solo with piano; English
- duration: 2’00”
- range: b-flat - f”
- difficulty: easy
- Now Let Us Sing
- SSA, soprano solo with piano; English
- duration: 2’30”
- range: b-flat -f”
- difficulty: easy
- Jesu, Thou the Virgin-born
- SSAA, soprano and alto solos, a cappella; English
- duration: 2’35”
- range: a flat - e flat”
- difficulty: easy
- The Saviour of the World is Born
- unison with piano; English
- duration: 1’45”
- range: a flat - e flat”
- diffculty: easy
Gaudete!
Gaudete!…..TC-176…..$1.70
Walter, Lana arr.
Renaissance dance rhythms inform this joyous setting of a sixteenth-century melody. The clear choral writing is set off by a jaunty keyboard interlude. Homophonic refrains make this piece a natural for a massed choir performance, with sub-groups singing the verses.
- SSA with piano
- duration: 1’55”
- range: d’-a”
- difficulty: easy
Glory to
God.....TC-262.....$3.50
Kevin Johnson
Preview
Herself a Rose, Who Bore the Rose.....TC-296.....$2.25
Eleanor Daley Preview
Christina Rossetti’s poem extolls Mary, the mother of Jesus, exploring in images from nature the paradox of a divine, yet helpless, infant born to a human mother: “The Sun of Righteousness her Son, she was His morning star.” Eleanor Daley’s setting combines rich harmonies with a mood of hushed awe, in textures which sensitively move from unison to two-part passages, then open out to four-part harmony.
SSAA a cappella; English. Medium.
Hodie
(on a text by Hildegard of Bingen).....TC-127.....$2.25
Stephan, Naomi
Strong rhythms, a wide range, unusual voicing, and the use of open fifths and medieval cantus firmus and tone painting techniques give this piece its unique excitement. A major contribution to the literature for women's voices.
SSSAA and two soprano solos a cappella. Medium/Difficult.
Hodie
Christus natus est (Today Christ Is Born).....TC-299.....$1.70
Laster, James H. Preview
A Christmas plainchant (familiar from Britten’s Ceremony of Carols) appears with a new organ accompaniment in this stirring setting. Chant sections alternate with strongly rhythmic, antiphonal organ/choir passages. A fine Christmas processional or concert opener. SSA and Organ; Latin; Easy-Medium.
In
the Bleak Midwinter…..TC-172…..$2.25
McCollin, Frances (1892-1960)
Composed in 1934, this original, through-composed setting includes all five stanzas of the Rossetti text--even the “breastful of milk” stanza often purged from hymnals. The minor tonality, elegant and spare choral writing, and lush piano accompaniment make this a piece your choir will cherish and remember.
- SSAA with piano
- duration: 4’45”
- range: g-g”
- difficulty: easy-medium
I
Sing of a Maiden.....TC-164.....$1.20
Bennett, Jennifer
"He came al so still," repeats the 15th century English text, and this gentle setting, largely in unison, evokes the awed quiet of Christmas night. A deceptively simple minor melody, with eighth-note syncopations, floats over triplets in the spare texture of the accompaniment. Winner of honorable mention in the 1998 Amadeus Choir Christmas Carol and Chanukah Song Writing Competition, Toronto, Ontario.
- SA and piano or organ
- 4 pages
- duration: 2:15 min.
- range: d' to d"
- difficulty: easy-medium
Joys
Seven.....TC-146.....$2.25
Laster, James, arr.
"The first great joy that Mary had," begins this counting carol on a traditional English tune. The varied verse settings in this charming arrangement are unified by a short, repeated keyboard interlude. This setting is just right for a service of lessons and carols.
SSA and keyboard. Easy.
The Little Cradle Rocks.....TC-282.....$1.20
Parker, Alice Preview
Beginning with a solo statement, then adding choral parts in unison and two, then three parts, the texture of this Christmas spiritual proclaims peace on earth and “the Christ-child born in glory.” Never rising above mezzo forte, it rocks the baby gently and proclaims his radiant promise. SSA and Mezzo-Soprano solo, a cappella. English. Easy.
Magnificat.....TC-161.....$2.25
This setting of the Canticle of Mary is suitable for both church and concert use. A refrain in 5/4 time on the antiphon "for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant" unifies the structure and lends the piece much of its rhythmic vitality and interest. The harmonies—largely diatonic but with some chromatic clashes—are mature, but do not overwhelm the text.
Liturgical use: Evensong; Advent; Annunciation; Feast of the Visitation (May 31).
- SSA (some divisi)and organ; English
- 11 pages
- duration: 4 min.
- range: e to a"
- difficulty: medium
This multi-movement setting of the Song of Mary is a major contribution to the concert literature for women’s chorus. Commissioned by the Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble in 2000, its exceptionally intelligent text setting and pure beauty of sound make this a work you will want to add to your repertoire. Two of the movements, "Et misericordia" and "Esurientes," stand alone well as short anthems. Duration: 14 minutes. Latin, with full translation.
SSA with some divisi. Medium.
This original setting of a poem by Armand Silvestre has dark, powerful sections contrasting the beauty of Christmas candles on land with the darkness and danger of the sea. Gentle sections with rocking rhythms remind the absent sailors of the children they have left at home, and ask for their prayers. The piece closes with an image of the prayers of those on land, and the hymns of the sailors, meeting and crossing in the space which separates them.
SSAA, soprano solo, and piano; French; Easy-Med.
O Bethlehem.....TC-250.....$1.20
arr.
Martha
Alter
(1904-1976) Preview
O
frondens virga (O branch, coming into leaf).....TC-144.....$2.25
Bingen, Hildegard von (1098-1179)
This new edition of Hildegard's antiphon places it in its liturgical context, pairing it with a plainchant "Magnificat" (included in this edition by William Flynn). The reprise of the antiphon has an optional added voice in organum, reflecting medieval performance practice. Latin, with full translation and historical and performance notes. In honor of Hildegard's 900th birthday.
Unison (antiphonal) a cappella. Easy/Medium.
O
Little Town of Bethlehem.....TC-281.....$1.70
Childers, Brian
Preview
A lovely new tune, simple and effective, very suitable for young children. The gentle setting has flute obbligato.
Unison with descant; piano and flute. English. Very Easy.
O
magnum mysterium (O great mystery).....TC-288.....$1.70
Forbes, Guy
Preview
Beginning with hushed, sustained chords which invoke the mystery, this piece segues to a joyful imitative "Alleluia" section. At the end, the mystery is infused with echoes of joy.
SSAA a cappella; Latin. Medium.
O
magnum mysterium (O
great mystery).....TC-220.....$1.70
Jakob
Handl (1551-1591)
Preview
Straightforward harmonic rhythms make this double-chorus motet easier than it looks: many parts, but none too hard. Its clear-cut echo patterns on "Noe!" cry out for performance by physically separated ensembles--a joyous acoustical experience for singers and listeners alike.
SSAA/SSAA a cappella; Latin. Easy-Medium.
O
Regem coeli (O King of Heaven).....TC-130.....$2.25
Victoria, Tomás Luis de (1548-1611)
This loveliest of all Christmas motets for upper voices, long out of print in the U.S., is newly edited from the original print of 1572, with literal word-by-word and prose translations and keyboard reduction.
SSAA a cappella. Medium.
Puer
nobis nascitur.....TC-173.....$1.70
Walter, Lana
Choral drones, small percussion, and canon are some of the simple but extremely effective devices in this arrangement in 6/8 time. This piece will make a fine processional for your Christmas concert.
- SSAA a cappella
- duration: 1’35”
- range: b-e”
- difficulty: very easy
Qui creavit coelum (He
who created the sky).....TC-230.....$1.70
arr.
Elizabeth Poston (1905-1987) Preview
This medieval "Song of the Nuns of Chester" has lullaby syllables at the end of each line. Elizabeth Poston has provided two versions, which the director may employ with maximum flexibility. The setting for unison voices may be performed with organ or a cappella, antiphonally or responsorially. The four-part a cappella setting has fluid vocal writing and charming modal harmony. Both settings preserve the chant rhythms of the original.
Unison or SSAA; with organ or a cappella; Latin. Easy-Medium.
Silent
Night.....TC-155.....$1.20
Dienes, Katherine arr.
This full, yet gentle setting of the beloved Christmas hymn is perfect for a candlelight service or quiet concert closer. The low, rocking chords of the background choral parts are the same for all three stanzas. Interest is built by the addition of a second-stanza solo and third-stanza descants. Experiment with assigning the descants to instruments, or with supporting or replacing the lower voices with organ.
- SSSAA, soprano solo, and three descants a cappella; English
- 4 pages
- duration: 2:45 min.
- range: f to f"(top descant to c''')
- difficulty: easy-medium
Sussex
Carol (traditional English).....TC-203.....$1.70
Noble,
Clifton J. Jr., arr. Preview
This new arrangement of an old favorite has wide, clanging voicing in the handbell accompaniment, and particularly good use of duple counter-rhythms and rhythmic extension of the melody in the final stanza. The handbell part may be played on piano, organ, or harp.
SSAA & Handbells; English. Medium.
Suo Gân (traditional Welsh
lullaby).....TC-129.....$1.70
Morgan, Thomas Edward
arr.
Lush voicing and the subtle rhythmic texture of the choral accompaniment highlight the simple appeal of the ageless tune. With full Welsh text and phonetic rendition underlaid in the score, and word-by-word and prose translations.
SSAA (much divisi) and soprano solo a cappella. Easy.
Three
Noëls.....TC-227.....$2.85
Mary
Bauer (1882-1955)
Within the deceptively simple three-part texture, the composer has marked the subtleties of speech rhythms with sophisticated melodies and harmonies. These understated settings will ask your singers to "listen loudly." The first and third movements feature alto solos.
SSA a cappella; English. Medium.
The Twelve Days of
Christmas.....TC-240.....$2.85
arr. Peter Harvey Preview
Übers
Gebirg' Maria geht (O'er Judah's Hills, from
Nazareth).....TC-150.....$2.25
Eccard, Johannes, arranged by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
This charming, canzonet-style motet was arranged by the young Brahms for his Hamburg women's choir in the late 1850's. The strophic text is based on the account in Luke 1 of Mary's visitation to Elizabeth. Both text and music convey the cousins' joy at seeing one another; the refrain paraphrases the Magnificat.
This piece was a favorite of the Hamberg women's choir, performed many times as its members, also, gathered to sing joyfully.
Liturgical use: Advent; Feast of the Visitation, May 31.
- SSAA (much Alto I divisi) a cappella. German/English.
- 8 pages, plus singing and literal transations and editorial notes
- duration: 2:30 min.
- range: f to a"
- difficulty: easy-medium
Virgines
prudentes (O ye wise maidens).....TC-120.....$1.70
Handl, Jakob
This very easy double chorus piece, with Chorus I-II echoes, is a wonderful introduction to the world of more than four parts. The text, based on the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, is suitable for Advent. Chosen for the 1997 ACDA National Convention women's chorus reading session. SSAA/SSAA (double chorus) a cappella; Latin. Easy.
This medieval English carol has question-and-answer dialogue between refrain and verses, making it very effective for pageant performance, as well as for church or concert use.
SSA a cappella (optional percussion). Easy-Medium.
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BOUND UNTO CANAAN: THREE SHAPED-NOTE
HYMNS
arr. William Averitt
1. Say, Now Ye Lovely Social Band.....TC-251.....$1.70 Preview
This setting honors the angularity of the original setting's fourths, sevenths, and ninths. Its square rhythms "walk the way to Canaan's land."
SSA; a cappella; English; Medium2. You May Tell Them, Father.....TC-252.....$1.70 Preview
Paired voices sing sprightly stanzas, while the "poor mourning pilgrim" refrain has slow, sweet chords that go straight to the heart.
SSA; a cappella; English; Medium3. Ye Souls Who Are Bound unto Canaan.....TC-253.....$1.70 Preview
Fast, fluid melodic lines in all voices "join in and help me to sing."
SSA; a cappella; English; Medium.
A
Christmas Alleluia ("Mary, What You Going to Name That Pretty Little
Baby").....TC-139.....$1.70
Moore, Undine Smith, arr.
Antiphonal choirs and a small unison chant group exchange alleluias, while the soloist sings the melody of this spiritual written for the Spelman College Choir in 1971.
SSAA/SSAA, unison chant group, and soprano solo, a cappella; English. Medium.
This quiet and gentle setting is a showcase for your soprano soloist, with the chorus singing background chords and alleluias throughout. The text is on the parable of the lost sheep--excellent for church use.
SSAA and soprano solo a cappella; English. Easy/Medium.
Your second altos will love this setting--they get the melody in the refrain, and lots of low f's during the verses. The strong rhythms of this setting will energize your chorus!
SSAA and soprano solo a cappella. Easy/Medium.
This arrangement is a medley of three spirituals: "Come down, angels," "Listen to the angels," and "My way's cloudy," all from The Story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, one of the earliest printed collections of slave spirituals. In all three, angels are the heavenly messengers who inspire and lead the singers out of bondage into the promised land.
In this arrangement, the angels are not dimpled cherubs, but rather towering figures who energize the singers in their difficult and dangerous journey. Swing rhythm sections alternate with softer sections in straight rhythm, in this fine concert closer with barn-burning piano accompaniment.
The spirituals' Exodus imagery makes this medley suitable for Passover programming, as well as for concerts which honor slave spirituals.
Beginning with a solo statement, then adding choral parts in unison and two, then three parts, the texture of this Christmas spiritual proclaims peace on earth and “the Christ-child born in glory.” Never rising above mezzo forte, it rocks the baby gently and proclaims his radiant promise. SSA and Mezzo-Soprano solo, a cappella. English. Easy.
This texture of this setting evokes the longing to go "over Jordan, over home" with its effective use of octaves, and of chords blossoming out from unisons to wide voicings and back again.
SSAA and soprano solo a cappella. English. Easy/Medium.
Shaker
Suite (Three Shaker Spirituals).....TC-162.....$2.85
Gilbert,
Nina arr.
Explore the American heritage of Shaker hymnody with these three settings of lesser-known, very appealing Shaker spirituals.
Each brief setting grows from its underlying melody to make an exceptionally unified arrangement. With a different technique as the focus for each arrangement, these minute-long pieces make fine vocalises for your choir. "Oh the beautiful treasure," with its square rhythms, horn calls, and harmonic texture opening out and closing, is excellent for teaching chord tuning. "We will walk with Mother and mourn," with its smooth, stepwise, rising and falling melody, is a fine exercise for legato singing. "Hop up and jump up," with its crisp rhythms and phrase fragments tossed from part to part, calls for rhythmic clarity and clean entrances and cutoffs.
- SSAA a cappella
- 13 pages, plus editorial notes
- duration: 3:15 min.
- range: g to f"
- difficulty: easy-medium
From the Nina Gilbert Choral Series
Steal Away.....TC-248.....$1.20
arr.
Marylou India
Jackson (d. 1969) Preview
Audiences get very quiet when they hear that special simple piece. This setting is one such, a lost gem from the choral director at Bennett College for Women, 1931-1935.
SSAA; a cappella; English; Easy.
This original spiritual has an easygoing style, with dotted rhythms, chromatic interest, finger snaps, and an independent piano part.
SSA andpiano. Medium.
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Alleluia....TC-267....$1.70
by Joseph Gregorio
Preview
"Alleluia" is the entire text of this new work for women's choir. Moving mostly in gentle quarter- and half-notes, this finely-wrought setting begins and ends gently, with a crescendo to double forte in the middle section. Your church choir can sing this anthem-length setting any time except Advent and Lent; and your concert choir will find it a lovely middle-of-program piece which teaches careful tuning and seamless blend. SSAA a cappella. Easy-Medium.
This bouyant baroque setting of a Psalm text imitates the sound of the trumpet with melismas in both choral parts. (If your two-part treble choir enjoyed Purcell’s “Sound the Trumpet,” they will revel in this.) The basso continuo part has been realized, and may be doubled by cello or bassoon.
SA & Organ; Latin. Easy-Medium.
Alleluia! Christ the Lord is Risen.....TC-295.....$1.20Exultant rhythms and meter changes proclaim the joy of Easter in this new setting of the “Christ is erstanden” text. It is short, and it bursts with energy—the perfect Introit or Gospel procession for your principal service on Easter Day. Brass parts are available in dual versions, for flexible use: 2 Trumpets in C/ B-flat, Horn/Trombone, and Trombone.
Unison; Keyboard or Brass quartet; English. Easy.
Ave
verum.....TC-116.....$1.20
Dienes,
Katherine
Choral phrases end on sustained sixth chords, forming a background for soprano and alto solos in octaves. Subtle rhythmic groupings of quarter and eighth notes declaim the text beautifully. Chosen for the 1997 ACDA National Convention women's chorus reading session.
SSAA, soprano and alto solo a cappella. Latin. Medium.
Cantate Domino (O sing
unto the Lord).....TC-249.....$2.25
Michele
Roueché
Preview
Canticle
of the Creatures.....TC-189.....$1.20
Hytrek,
Sister Theophane (1915-1992) Preview
This radiant setting of the Hymn of Saint Francis to Brother Son and Sister Moon is a harmonized chant, in which the declamation of speech rhythms and accents is a vital part of the performance. It is the traditional festival song of the School Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sung at all their reunions. English.
SSAA a cappella. Easy.
Every note counts in the spare, evocative texture of this haunting prayer for peace. Choral parts in stark contrary motion alternate with recitative-like solos; the accompaniment may also by played on strings.
SA and piano or organ. Easy-Medium.
Da
pacem Domine (Give Peace in Our Time, O Lord).....TC-159.....$1.20
Olsson, Håkan
This powerful plea for peace makes a fine invocation, or opening selection for a concert dedicated to issues of nonviolence, war and peace. Easier than it appears, its clear tonal center provides a firm footing for introducing techniques such as sudden harmonic changes and gradually built tone clusters. Sung by the Peninsula Women's Chorus, Dr. Patricia F. Hennings, Director, at the 1992 Western Division ACDA convention in Honolulu, this piece is exceptionally rewarding for both singers and audience.
- SSAA (some divisi)a cappella; Latin
- 2 pages
- duration: 2:00 min.
- range: e to a"
- difficulty: medium
"I stumble and tumble," begins this freely-rendered medieval text, set in 6/4 over a delightfully lurching scat ostinato in 12/8. Written for the women of the Cornell University Chorus, it works easily when conducted in a big 2. English.
SSAA a cappella. Medium.
Exite
Sion filiae (Go Forth, Daughters of Zion).....TC-145.....$2.25
Czerny, Carl (1791-1857)
A setting of a hymn text on Jesus' crown of thorns, this largely homophonic setting, by a composer most known for his piano exercises, is beautifully grave and dignified. Suitable for Lent. Latin, with full translation.
SSAA a cappella. Easy/Medium.
These new settings of the traditional Evensong canticles were sung at the Washington National Cathedral by the Norwich Cathedral (UK) Girls’ Choir on their American tour in 2000. With ostinato organ accompaniment for manuals only, their extended solos and soaring, imitative choral parts are understated but effective. English.
2-pt. treble with organ. Medium.
"The fruit of silence is prayer..." Thus begins Mother Teresa's statement of faith and purpose, a poem which she entitled, "A Simple Path." This gentle setting with long note values is given in both a short version, and a longer version with a soloists' counter-melody. It is particularly suitable for use as a benediction, or for repeated singing during the administration of communion, whenever a mantra-like effect of sung prayer is desired.
SSAA & and optional SA solos a cappella; English. Easy-Medium.
Give Thanks for
Music.....TC-272.....$1.70
Parker, Alice
Preview
Invoking the key, tempo, and rhythms of the Thanksgiving hymn, "We gather together," this setting builds a cumulative texture over an original melody in the alto line. Commissioned by Sigma Alpha Iota in honor of their hundredth anniversary, it makes a fine festival opener.
SSA and piano, English. Easy-Medium.
Hildegard
Motets.....TC-170.....$2.85
Löfberg, Maria
The outer movements of this set have some of the most interesting two-part writing we’ve seen for a long time. Their immense rhythmic vigor and melodic vitality are paired with sensitive text setting. The middle-movement solos are equally rewarding. The texts all invoke personifications of female spirituality: the Church as bride, Wisdom with her whirling wings, the Holy Spirit, and the Church as mother. Latin.
- O choruscans lux stellarum (O glistening starlight)
- SA with piano or organ
- duration: 2’45”
- range: a-g”
- difficulty: medium
- O virtus Sapientie (Sophia! you of the whirling wings)
- Alto (chorus unison or solo) with piano or organ
- duration: 1’30”
- range: c’-d”
- difficulty: easy
- Spiritus sanctus (The Spirit of God)
- Soprano solo with piano or organ
- duration: 1’50”
- range: f’-g”
- difficulty: medium
- Nunc gaudeant (Let Mother Ecclesia sing for joy!)
- SA with piano or organ
- duration: 3’10”
- range: a - a flat”
- difficulty: medium
Jesu,
dulcis memoria (Jesus, the very thought of thee).....TC-148.....$1.70
Cleveland, Michael
This mellifluous setting is achingly sweet but never sappy, with distinctive writing for all parts and an independent keyboard accompaniment. An unusually good match of a 12th century hymn text (known in English as "Jesus, the very thought of thee") and its musical setting. Latin, with full translation.
SSAA and keyboard. Medium.
The traditional ninefold Kyrie form, with mezzo-soprano solo, blooms over a cool jazz piano ostinato. This is the companion piece to TC-262, "Glory to God."
SSAA; piano; Latin and English; Medium.
L'Éternel est mon
berger (God Is My Shepherd).....TC-234.....$2.25
James G. Smith (b. 1935)
Preview
Beautifully shaped vocal phrases, over a stately accompaniment now and then reminiscent of a sarabande, make this minor-key setting of Psalm 23 linger memorably in the ear. First conceived as a solo song, then as a unison chorus, then as a two-part chorus, it may be performed in any of these ways, in English or in French.
Unison or SA & Piano or Organ; French or English. Easy-Medium.
A radiant setting of the Magnificat (Song of Mary) with an antiphon for Easter season, this setting alternates plainchant verses with tone-painting polyphonic sections in vigorous rhythms, for lovely and effective contrasts of rhythm and texture.
SSAA a cappella; Latin. Medium.
Miserere
mei, Deus (Have mercy on me, O Lord).....TC-149.....$2.25
from Miserere in D Minor
Hasse, Johann Adolph, edited by
Ralph Hunter
In this opening movement from a major baroque work from the Venetian ospedali repertoire, the choir's sustained, mostly homophonic chords are interwoven with angular chromatic lines in the upper strings. The lower strings and continuo support this texture with detached repeated chords, to make a rich texture of complementary independent parts. Edited by Ralph Hunter from the composer's autograph manuscript, this piece was sung by the 1999 ACDA National Women's Honor Choir in Chicago.
- SSAA, strings, and continuo (score and parts available); Latin
- 8 pages, plus literary translation and editorial notes
- duration: 4:30 min.
- range: g to g"
- difficulty: easy-medium
Instrumental parts:
- Violin 1.....TC-149-VLN1.....$1.70
- Violin 2.....TC-149-VLN2.....$1.70
- Viola.....TC-149-VLA.....$1.70
- Cello/Bass.....TC-149-VC.....$1.70
- Continuo realization.....TC-149-CONT.....$1.70
- Full score.....TC-149-ORCH.....$10.00
Gloria in excelsis! A new easy Mass setting you can sing in church--and elsewhere. This Missa Brevis from 1877 was dedicated to the Congrégation des Dames auxiliatrices de l’Immaculée Conception. Founded in 1858, by 1880 the order’s mother house in Paris had 72 members, and maintained an orphanage for 90 children and a 30-bed hospital. This Missa Brevis would have made a fine, practical setting for the sisters to sing at High Mass, and perhaps for the orphans to sing as well. The movements are just the right length to work well during the liturgy, and simple enough to learn quickly and remember easily. Although very easy, they carry their text well, and benefit from careful dynamic shaping by experienced choirs. Individual movements may also be sung as free-standing church anthems, or as concert pieces.
We are happy to provide the entire Mass in octavo form, or to negotiate print licenses for individual movements—email treblecleforders@aol.com for a fee schedule and a permission form, and we’ll send you a downloadable file.
SA and Organ or Harmonium; Latin. Easy.1. Kyrie (Lord, Have Mercy) Preview
2. Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the Highest) Preview
3. Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) Preview
4. O Salutaris Hostia (O Redeeming Sacrifice) Preview
5. Agnus Dei (O Lamb of God) Preview
A late medieval canon, moving almost entirely in fluid eighth-note triplets, comes to rest at the end of each phrase. Edited by Mark Winges for the Piedmont Children's Choirs, this piece works beautifully as a processional.
SSA a cappella, Latin. Easy-Medium.
Quasi-medieval modal tonality, open intervals, and the pulsing sixteenth-note rhythms of the accompaniment make this setting of Hildegard’s tribute to the Spirit, the personification of wisdom, an exciting choice. If necessary, the percussion parts may be played by one organist on two manuals, or by two players of electronic keyboards.
SSA, vibraphone & marimba; Latin (Hildegard of Bingen). Medium.
This meditation on a graveyard ("Easter Monday") brings the poet to an acceptance of the mystery of death. Sung by the Louisiana State University Women’s Choir, directed by Sara Lynn Baird, at the ACDA 2002 Southern Division convention in Charlotte, its mostly-homophonic texture is evocative and touching. Appropriate for memorial services.
SSA & piano (strings score and parts available); English. Easy-Medium.
Petite
Mass.....TC-140.....$2.85
Walter,
Lana
This Latin setting of the Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei (and parts of the Gloria and Credo) works beautifully for both church and concert use. Its modest scale serves well at a Mass or service of Holy Communion, and its interesting harmonies, metric structure, and texture make the work stand well alone. Take it on tour!
SSA a cappella. Medium.
This Psalm setting provides cathedral-style grandeur in only two treble parts. The opening and closing sections of its ABA’ form put the two choral parts in dialogue over sustained organ chords, while the triumphant middle section’s homophonic choral parts alternate with trumpet stop solos. The text is especially suitable for Evensong, Thanksgiving, or festival services.
SA and organ, English. Easy-Medium.
This setting of the Easter morning colloquy between the two angels and Mary Magdalen, based on John 20:13, is a splendid introduction to modern choral techniques: free rhythmic ostinatos, sprechgesang (speech song), enharmonic changes, and varied vibrato are all prepared and supported for the singers. Chosen by Nina Gilbert for the Nina Gilbert Choral Series. Latin, with full translation.
SSSAA a cappella. Medium.
This agreeable setting, with imitative entrances but a largely homophonic texture, is a fine introduction to baroque style. In several sections with contrasting meters, it employs dotted rhythms, hemiolas, and melismatic settings of the “alleluia” text refrain. A realization of the figured bass is included. Latin, with full translation.
SSA and organ. Easy-Medium.
Salve
Regina (Hail O Queen).....TC-167.....$1.70
Löfberg, Maria
This supple and mellifluous setting seems to grow from plainchant--its largely stepwise motion grows naturally out of text accents, and individual sections are singled out now and then, for variety in texture. This deceptively simple piece is intelligent and lovely.
SSAA a cappella; duration: 2’00”; range: a-g”; difficulty: medium.
These seven sacred songs are suitable for treble, mixed, or men's choirs, or for solo performance. The texts are taken from various Sabbath services; many are suitable for use as anthems in Christian worship. While all are easy, each has distinctive features-rhythmic extension of a phrase, shifting meters, or harmonic subtleties-which make the set rank very, very high on the "simple does not have to mean stupid" scale. Please, before you buy another boring dreidel song, look at these.
Flowing ¾
meter and a pentatonic tune make this morning prayer a heartfelt
invocation. (By the way, this piece is a natural for Kodaly teaching.)
Unison; piano; Hebrew;
Easy.
The text,
from Psalm 96 (the basis for the "Venite" canticle), exhorts all
creation to rejoice. The irregular rhythms and harmonic-melodic minor
patterns in the choral part give the piece tremendous energy, as does
the syncopated and wide-ranging piano accompaniment.
Unison;
piano; Hebrew;
Easy-Med.
Ubi caritas (Where There Is
Love).....TC-184.....$1.70 A unison chant in Latin alternates with a homophonic setting in English, and then combines with it, in this lovely original setting.
SSAA a cappella. Medium.
Wie lieblich sind Deine
Wohnungen (How lovely are thy dwellings).....TC-229.....$2.85
Josef Rheinberger
(1839-1901) Preview
Nothing displays the warmth of sound of a women's chorus like music of the German romantic composers--and this setting of Psalm 84, in its earlier version, is a jewel of that repertoire. For those choirs who must sing sacred music in English, we include an underlaid singing translation used at Wellesley College in the 1880's. An optional organ part, which serves largely to support the chorus, was added later; it is available separately.
SSA & Harp or Piano; German or English. Easy-Medium.
Within
Thy House Forever…..TC-168…..$1.20
Gawthrop,
Daniel E.
Excerpts of the Requiem text in Latin, and metric verses of Psalm 23 in English, make this moving elegy suitable for memorial services and All Saints’ observations, as well as for general sacred use.
- SSAA a cappella
- duration: 4’25”
- range: a flat-a”
- difficulty: medium
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Artsa
alinu
(We have
come up to the land)….. TC-178….. $1.70
Gilbert,
Nina arr.
This "macho march" setting of an Israeli pioneer song makes fine use of rapid alternation between unisons and vigorous chords. This one is a rouser! The Hebrew text is phonetically underlaid, with full Hebrew text and translation, with prononciation guide, included.
- SSAA a cappella
- duration: 1’50”
- range: g-g”
- difficulty: easy-medium
From the Nina Gilbert Choral Series
Los
bilbilicos (The Nightingales).....TC-255.....$2.25
arr.
Paula Foley Tillen
Preview
This haunting Judeo-Spanish song about the pains of love and the nightingale's song explores its harmonic minor melody with effective voice crossing. The clarinet obbligato is wonderful!
SSA; piano; clarinet; Ladino; Easy-Med.
Chad gadya (One Little Goat)
(trad.
Jewish).....TC-196.....$2.25
Glick, Mark, arr. Preview
This lively cumulative table song--the Jewish equivalent of "The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly"--has for centuries been sung toward the end of the Passover Seder meal, when the adults are wine-mellowed and the children are falling asleep. This arrangement, with its zesty piano and small percussion parts, and maximum flexibility in assigning stanzas of the text, makes a fine closer for a spring concert. Aramaic, with full translation.
SSAA with piano and sm. percussion. Medium.
Cuckoo is a Pretty Bird.....TC-271.....$1.70
Clemens, James E., arr.
Preview
Beware of false love! This spare but lively setting of the American folk song has just enough piano accompaniment to give it momentum; everybody else gets the melody and some simple counter-melodies. Love goes wrong in this song, but the rhythmic vitality of its modal harmonies is upbeat: no whining.
SSA and Piano; English. Easy.
Down
by the Salley Gardens.....TC-163.....$1.70
Cleveland, Michael arr.
This frankly sentimental Irish ballad of long-lost love has appealing double descants, independent four-part writing for a full soprano and alto range, yummy harmonies and voicing, and an irresistible choral cadenza which imitates the easy movement of the waving grass. Regretful but never self-pitying, the Yeats poem concludes, "But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears."
- SSAA and piano
- 8 pages
- duration: 4:00 min.
- range: f# to g"
- difficulty: medium
That mule named Sal may never be the same after this rambunctious musical treatment. The swing choral rhythms, with scat interpolations of the names of towns “from Albany to Buffalo,” are supported by a down-and-dirty accompaniment your pianist will love. Performed by the Smith College Glee Club, Jonathan Hirsh, Director, at the ACDA Eastern Division 2002 convention in Pittsburgh.
SSAA & Piano; English. Medium-Difficult.
Flow
Gently, Sweet Afton.....TC-126.....$1.70
Walter,
Lana arr.
A lyrical setting of this Robert Burns text, with sensitively drawn rhythmic interest in the piano part.
SSA, optional alto solo, piano. Easy.
Housekeeper's
Tragedy.....TC-109.....$1.70
Eichhorn,
Hermene arr.
Every chorus needs a silly song, and this North Carolina folk song is it: a jaunty tune, passed from part to part, chronicles the struggles of the grime-fighting housewife who finally "lay down and died and was buried in dirt." Audiences really enjoy this one!
SSA, soprano and alto solo, and piano. Easy.
Jubilee.....TC-254.....$2.25
arr.
Peter Harvey
Preview
This chipper setting of a sassy little American Appalachian play-party song will cheer you up. Promise. "Boys as pure as a lump of coal, girls as sweet as candy" all take their turn to "swing and turn" at the refrains.
SSAA; guitar or piano; English; Easy-Med.
K’wae-jina
ching-ching nah-neh...TC-171...$1.70
Gilbert,
Nina arr.
Because this arrangement builds on repeating short verses and refrains, this song of warning and complaint is accessible to western singers. Suggestions for performance alternatives give additional flexibility. The Korean text is underlaid phonetically, with full Korean text and translation, and guides to pronunciation, given as well.
- SSAA a cappella; Korean
- duration: 2’00”
- range: c-g”
- difficulty: medium
From the Nina Gilbert Choral Series
The
Maid on the Shore.....TC-142.....$2.25
ter Hart, Stella, arr.
This new setting of a Newfoundland folk song text relates the tale of a young woman, abducted by sailors, who outwits and escapes them, and steals their gold. It begins and ends with bagpipe-like choral drones. Singers will enjoy the different accompaniment figures as the modal melody is passed from one part to another. Finalist in the Diva Complex 1996 Composition contest.
SSAA, high bongo, and tambourine. Medium.
The
Old Woman in a Basket.....TC-147.....$1.70
Walter,
Lana, arr.
The lilting setting reflects the happy-go-lucky nonsense of the text: "There was an old woman who lived in a basket seventy times as high as the moon." Traditional words and tune.
SSA and piano. Easy.
Quare
Bungle Rye (Irish Folk
Shanty).....TC-278.....$2.85
Bull,
Tina, arr. Preview
A bouncy shanty with nonsense syllable interludes and refrains tells the cautionary tale of a sailor and a girl of the town—and this time it is the sailor who is left holding the baby.
SSAA with piano and flute, English. Medium.
Roulez
jeunes
gens, roulez (Roll, young folks, roll).....TC-219.....$3.50
arr.
Joseph Gregorio Preview
Three ships full of wheat come into port, and sailors and young women haggle over their wares. Who will be cheated? This rousing concert-closer features clapping and stomping body percussion. It is high-energy entertainment, written for the Cornell University Glee Club, and now part of their permanent repertoire.
SSAA, piano; French. Medium.
The haunting melody is variously placed against pedal points, with unison phrase closings, in the alto line, and at close imitation, to give the acoustic feeling of the singers' listening and longing for the sound of the beloved.
- SSAA (some divisi) a cappella
- 6 pages
- duration: 2:30 min.
- range: f to g"
- difficulty: medium
Three
Maritime Folk Songs
Henderson, Ruth Watson, arr.
1. Johnny's Gone A-Sailing.....TC-211.....$2.25....Preview
A young woman disguises herself as a sailor, and follows her Johnny to war. As “Jack Munro” she is small and slender, but never falters in battle.
SA, Piano & optional Oboe; English. Medium.
2. When I Was in My Prime.....TC-212.....$2.25....Preview
In this lament over a faithless lover, the deserted one chooses a weeping willow over the violet and the rose. The modal tonality is very appealing, especially in the solo stanza.
SAA, Soprano Solo, Piano, & optional Oboe; English. Medium.
3. Nell Flaherty's Drake.....TC-213.....$2.85....Preview
This lively tribute to a much-loved dead duck praises his attributes in life (“his feet they were yellow”), and details the horrible fate wished upon his killer. With choral “quack-quacks” in seconds, never has revenge been so much fun.
SAA, Piano, & optional Oboe; English. Medium.
The Water is
Wide.....TC-218.....$1.70
arr.
Clifton J. Noble, Jr. Preview
This sweet--but never drippy--setting of a familiar English folk moves into gentle swing rhythm ostinato patterns, supporting soprano and alto solos.
SSAA a cappella; English. Easy-Medium.
Women
on the Plains: Three Canadian Folk Songs
Parker,
Alice arr.
1. Old Grandma.....TC-117.....$1.70
Vigorous hemiola rhythms paint the picture of the endlessly busy woman pioneer, the loyal helpmeet to Grandpa, as she works through her staggering list of chores. "It's no wonder Grandma's hair turned gray!"
SSAA and piano. Easy/medium.2. Away, Far down the River (Adieu de la mariée).....TC-118.....$1.70
The pioneer bride bids farewell to her parents as she prepares to go West, leaving everything she knows. This haunting setting has lovely birdcall effects in the accompaniment.
SSA and piano. Easy.
3. Punching the Dough.....TC-119.....$1.70
This pioneer wife speaks for every exasperated woman who knows that "shooting out biscuits" takes more gumption than shooting out windows and lights! Energetic syncopations will keep you on your toes.
SSAA and piano. Easy/medium.
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Sojourner Truth's stirring words come to even more vibrant life in this blues-y setting with a strong piano part. Beginning in unison, the choral texture builds in each refrain to a stirring finale. Perfect for observing Black History Month or Women's History month, this piece leaps off the page to compel the attention of performers and audience alike.
SSA chorus, Piano, and Optional String Bass. English. Easy-medium.
Angels
Singing Out of Tune...TC-175...$2.25
Szymko, Joan
Can it be that, even in heaven, women work a second shift? Joan Szymko’s setting turns the sense of Byron’s poem on its head. She imagines a heaven where frazzled angels never rest: the lurching rhythms and goofy chromatics of the heavenly choir showcase a soprano soloist who spins out of control...
- SSAA with soprano solo, a cappella
- duration: 3’20”
- range: f-a” (soloist to b”)
- difficulty: medium-difficult
The poem by Kathleen Wakefield describes the deceptive appearance of the moth mullein flower, which reminds us that "We are not who we appear to be." This simple and effective setting was commissioned for the Voces Feminae Choir of the Bulgarian Music Festival in 2000.
SSA and piano. Easy.
Breath
in the Wind.....TC-283.....$1.70
Clemens,
James E. Preview
This simple but sophisticated pentatonic piece conveys the spirituality of nature with echoing and canonic statements of a haunting original melody. Kodaly educators will find the piece particularly teachable and rewarding. The flute obbligato may be played on a transverse flute, an alto recorder, or a Native American flute in B pentatonic minor—or omitted if necessary.
SSA with flute obbligato, English. Easy.
Canzonette
a tre...TC-180...$2.85
Monteverdi, Claudio (1567-1643),
edited by Joan Yakkey
These four songs describe the pangs of thwarted romantic love: torment, desire, and longing. (The third may be the world's only love song declaring envy of a flea--including hopping rhythms.) These songs include a wide range of Renaissance musical devices, including imitation, cadential suspensions, metric changes, and dance-like rhythms. Since they are short and strophic, they give your singers multiple chances of mastering idioms of Renaissance polyphony on a small scale.
- Il mio martir (My torment)
- SSA a cappella
- duration: 1’40” x 4
- range: g-g”
- difficulty: medium
- Son quest’I crespi crini (These are the curly locks)
- SSA a cappella
- duration: 0’56” x 4
- range: f sharp - g”
- difficulty: medium
- Godi pur del bel sen (Delight in the beautiful bosom)
- SSA a cappella
- duration: 1’00” x 4
- range: g-g”
- difficulty: medium
- Hor care canzonette (Now dear canzonets)
- SSA a cappella
- duration: 0’55” x 2
- range: g-a”
- difficulty: medium
In this medieval mystic text the circle is an image for meditation, first excluding, then embracing, the world. The musical setting reflects the image with contracting and expanding textures, and a soprano solo. English.
SSAA a cappella with Soprano solo. Medium-Difficult.
The ambiguous tonality of the opening section reflects the poet’s restlessness, in this cry of longing for a dead lover “in the silence of the night.” A richly romantic setting which showcases beautiful choral sound.
SSAA & piano; English. Medium.
Desertscapes.....TC-179.....$5.95
Payne, Maggi
This is that special piece for your special choir: a tonal, a cappella, double chorus tour de force of minimalist techniques that sounds like...the desert! This piece repays careful study: the conductor who helps the singers identify repeated patterns, and the relation of each part to its counterpart in the other chorus, will accelerate the learning process. Your reward is four sections of differing programmatic effects, to be performed as one long movement.
- Pyramid Lake
- SSAA/SSAA a cappella
- duration: 1’30”
- range: g-e”
- difficulty: medium-difficult
- Death Valley
- SSAA/SSAA a cappella
- duration: 1’50”
- range: b flat - f”
- difficulty: medium-difficult
- Bryce Canyon
- SSAA/SSAA a cappella
- duration: 2’40”
- range: a-d”
- difficulty: medium-difficult
- Devil’s Playground
- SSAA/SSAA a cappella
- duration: 2’20”
- range: f-a”
- difficulty: medium-difficult
Dream
Song.....TC-277.....$1.70
Daniels,
Mabel Wheeler
(1878-1971) Preview
This legato lullaby with rocking rhythms imagines dreams coming in on little boats at sunset, then sailing away again at dawn.
SSAA a cappella, English. Easy-Medium
Dum
Dianae vitrea (When Diana's silver light).....TC-112.....$1.70
Daniels,
Mabel Wheeler
(1878-1971)
Both sound and sense of the Carmina Burana text on the restful loveliness of moonrise are beautifully set in this lyrical, technically strong piece, first published in 1942.
SSA a cappella. Latin. Medium.
Elinor
Wylie: Incantations
Parker,
Alice
Mirroring the poems they set, these pieces express a rare depth of emotion through spare choral textures. Demanding—and rewarding—parts for piano and clarinet.
For SA (some divisi), piano, and clarinet. Medium difficulty.
I. Incantation.....TC-131.....$1.70
A driving 7/8 piano ostinato heightens the musical tension of antiphonal invocations of darkness and light.
II. Nameless Song.....TC-132.....$1.70
"My heart is cold and weather-worn": heavy chromatic chords in the piano underlie choral appoggiaturas in parallel movement, expressing sorrow and loss.
III. Fair Annet's Song.....TC-133.....$1.70
Arpeggiated passages in contrary motion for piano and clarinet, and scattered choral melodies, express fleeting nature: "One thing comes and another thing goes."
IV. Madman's Song.....TC-134.....$2.25
Galloping rhythms portray the lure of the hunt, and the urge to follow and "hallo, hallo," in this paean to impulsive action.
Farewell....TC-285.....$1.70
Shea, John
Preview
“The sound of flamenco, faint and receding, leaves an ache.” Sinuous flamenco rhythms highlight this image of sunset on the beach, as the romance of the day fades and the new moon brings the surge of another tide. The poem is by Lauri Coltri.
SSAA with Soprano Solo; Piano and Claves, English. Easy-Medium.
Had
I the
Heavens’ Embroidered Cloths.....TC-177.....$1.70
Cleveland, Michael
"I would spread the cloths under your feet," sings the lover to the beloved in this warm, rich setting of a Yeats poem.
- SSAA and piano
- duration: 3’ 00”
- range: f-g”
- difficulty: medium
This five-movement major addition to the repertoire for women’s chorus has widely differing voicings and textures. All the movements use Emily Dickinson’s domestic images--bees, birds, balls of yarn--to express hopes and fears relating to the future and the past. Commissioned by Bella Voce of Reno, Nevada, Jennifer Tibben-Lembke, Director.
SSA & Piano; English; Medium.2. A bird came down the walk....TC-207.2.....$1.70....Preview
SSA & Piano; English; Medium.3. My life closed twice before its close....TC-207.3.....$1.20....Preview
SSAA a cappella; English; Medium.4. If you were coming in the fall....TC-207.4.....$1.70....Preview
SA & Piano; English; Medium.5. Some things that fly there be....TC-207.5.....$1.70....Preview
SA & Piano; English; Medium.
How Do I
Love Thee?.....TC-143.....$2.25
Christensen, Nathan
Elizabeth Barrett Browning meets Mae West in this swing setting of the immortal love poem, paraphrased by the composer. "Boh-doo" and "wah-wah" scat passages put an original spin on this text, and bring the house down when it is performed with gusto. Winner of the Diva Complex 1996 Composition Contest.
SSAA a cappella. Medium.
The
Lake Isle of Innisfree....TC-275.....$1.70
Tillen, Paula Foley
Preview
This serene Yeats setting tells how the poet, even in the midst of city life, can daydream himself to an Irish “happy place” for the solace of solitude and nature. Paula Tillen has captured the dreamy longing with of the text a simple yet memorable melody, underlaid with subtle rhythmic patterns.
SSA with Piano; English. Easy.
"Adorable" is the only word for this parlor piece from the 1860’s, with its rumtity-tum piano accompaniment and operatic flourishes for the singers. The two choral parts, like true friends, are sometimes parallel, sometimes divergent, each maintaining her own character and taking it in turns to shine. Italian or English.
SA and piano. Easy-Medium.
Little
Dove.....TC-138.....$2.25
Raum, Elizabeth
This romantic, Schubertian song tells of a dove who, in her flight, sees both the world's suffering and the power of singing to heal it: "Oh, how the music melts the sadness!" Strophic, with metric and major/minor key changes, this setting lingers in the ear.
SSAA and piano. Easy/Medium.
maggie
and milly and molly and may.....TC-284.....$2.25
Stoop,
Margaret Collins
Preview
Malolo
(Lullaby on a Samoan text).....TC-158.....$1.20
Lockwood, Annea
Mellifluous Samoan lull words, like "manulele" (bird) and "suamalie" (sweet), are the basis for this hypnotic lullaby of repeated and recombined pentatonic patterns. Accessible to average choirs, this piece, with its subtle rhythmic interest and carefully crafted dynamic changes, is rewarding for more advanced choirs as well.
SSA a cappella; Samoan; 4 pages; duration: 2:30 min.; range: e' to d"; difficulty: easy-medium.
A
Midsummer Night's Dream: Fairy Songs.....TC-157.....$2.25
Parker,
Alice
These deceptively simple pieces are perfect for use as teaching pieces, and as incidental music for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare's comedy of the fairies' enchantment of two pairs of noble lovers and of Bottom the weaver.
As teaching pieces, their pentatonic melodies, limited range, and use of repetition and canon make them ideally suited to Kodaly techniques. Their rhythmic clarity makes them a good vehicle for simple choreography, and the recorder parts can be played by onstage musicians.
- SA, mezzo solo, and two recorders
- 10 pages
- duration: 2:00 min. each
- range: e' to e" (chorus); c' to c" (solo)
- difficulty: easy
This setting of the "Witches' Song" from Macbeth boils and bubbles with shrieks, cackles, and short spoken solos. The piano part sets a thundery stage for "Double, double toil and trouble" choral ostinatos and six minutes of general musical mayhem. Some "choralography" (flickering lizard tongues, panting dog sounds) is provided for, with scope for much, much more. The Oakville Children's Choir, directed by Glenda Crawford, made this piece a big hit at the 2005 ACDA National Convention.
SSAA; piano; English; Medium.
My
Girls: Three Songs on Poetry by Lucille Clifton
Walker, Gwyneth
SSA a cappella
Sisters.....TC-153.....$2.85No Thank You,
John.....TC-186.....$1.70 In Christina Rossetti’s text, the speaker mocks a vacillating suitor even as she rejects him. This setting, with madrigal-style flourishes in the refrain, perfectly captures the light cruelty of the text.
SSAA and piano. Easy-Medium.
1. Landscape.....TC-264.....$1.70....Preview
The poem, and the rhythmic plan of increasing and decreasing activity, describe a female sun's path from dawn to night. Along the way, she illumines a lake, marigold blossoms, and icy mountain tops. SSAA and piano, English, Medium.
2. Night.....TC-265.....$1.70....Preview
Female night rolls out a cover of darkness and paints the skies with stars, then summons her loyal companion, the male moon. SSAA and piano, English, Medium.
Peace.....TC-259.....$2.85
Martha Alter
(1904-1976) Preview
This lost gem from just before World War II sets an ancient Greek paean to the blessings of peace: spiders spin webs over swords and shields, and young warriors have a big party. The piano accompaniment's warlike dissonances are juxtaposed to the choir's peace motifs in an effective struggle. A fine concert closer.
SSAA; piano; English; Med.-Diff.
Puisqu’ici-bas
toute
âme (As each spirit here below) .....TC-269.....$2.25
Fauré,
Gabriel (1845-1924)
Preview
This duo is a passionately melodic declaration of love. Written for adults but accessible to children, it has antiphonal sections, mostly easy harmony sections, and strophic structure.
SA, piano. French. Easy-Medium.
The
Quangle Wangle's Hat.....TC-125.....$2.25
Williams,
Felicity
Chorus members play small percussion to represent the flock of imaginary animals who come to roost on the Quangle-Wangle's hat. While this piece was written for school children, adult women have been known to argue, "No, I wanna be the Fimble Fowl!" Fun for chorus and audience.
SA, piano, and percussion. Very easy.
Ronde
du crépuscule (Round dance at twilight).....TC-166.....$2.85
Chaminade, Cécile (1857-1944)
"Ronde du crépuscule," first published in 1909, is a fine example of the effortless, buoyant charm which characterizes Chaminade's music. The text tells the story of the fairy Queen Mab and her unnamed lover, kissing at twilight at the edge of the wood. Attendant elves dance and sing praises of their love.
The choral parts are easy, the soaring solo is just made for a soprano who loves to get up on a "g" and hold it, and the ripply piano part is showy without being terribly difficult. This piece is a treat for you and your choir.
- SSAA, soprano solo, and piano; French
- 12 pages, plus translation and historical notes
- duration: 4:30 min.
- range: g to f#'' (solo to g")
- difficulty: easy
"O my Luve's like a red, red rose." Eleanor Daley sets the Robert Burns text to a soaring melody, with lush harmonies and rippling piano accompaniment.
SSA & Piano; English. Easy-Medium.3. The Lost Rose.....TC-233.....$1.70....Preview
"The red rose whispers of passion, and the white rose breathes of love." Alternating 6/8 and 7/8 measures give this setting a distinctive rhythmic drive and urgency.
SSA & Piano; English. Easy-Medium.
"Come, all forsaken, and mourn you with me." With a foursquare minor melody and very low octaves in the piano, this doom-laden rebuke of a faithless lover carries great power.
SSA & Piano; English. Easy-Medium.
The central poem, by Madeleine L'Engle, depicts Neptune as a Sea Bishop who blesses all the creatures of sea and land. Gawthrop's vocally grateful text setting is particularly strong here, with occasional imitative entrances.
SSAA a cappella. Medium.
Seasons of Love
Daley,
Eleanor
The
English part song is back, with
Spring....TC-291....$2.25 Preview
Midsummer....TC-292....$1.20
Preview
Autumn....TC-293....$1.70
Preview
“O, when I was in love with
you,” begins the cheeky A.E. Housman poem about love that’s left
behind—on
purpose. Open fifth drones on “la la la” recall the sturdy peasant
sound of a
hurdy-gurdy, while the larky melody in 6/8 time is a modern tribute to
medieval
dance tunes.
SSAA a cappella; English. Medium.
Winter....TC-294....$1.70 Preview
The languorous rhythms in this bossa nova setting of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 portray love in full bloom, when the sun is hot and love will be forever.
SSA, piano, English. Medium
She Dwelt Among the Untrodden
Ways....TC-289.....$1.70
Hawkins,
Patrick Preview
The simple poem by William Wordsworth describes his sorrow after the death of Lucy, unobtrusive as a violet in life, leaving an aching regret when her death makes such a “difference to me.” This largely homophonic setting presents subtle rhythmic nuances with some hemiola, and one imitative entrance at “fair as a star.”
SSA and Piano, English. Easy-Medium.
Sigh No
More,
Ladies.....TC-263.....$2.85
Noble, Jr., Clifton
J. Preview
This high-energy setting of the song from Much Ado about Nothing advises ladies to be happy without fickle men, who have "one foot in sea and one on shore." At the refrains, with their "hey nonny nonny's" and "woe, woe, woe's", the bard goes be-bop. See if your singers catch the piano's reference to a hornpipe!
SSA and Piano; English; Medium.
Les
sirènes (The Sirens).....TC-115.....$2.25
Boulanger,
Lili
(1893-1918)
The sea creatures whose irresistible singing lures sailors onto the rocks, boast of their deadly beauty in this impressionistic setting of a French text. "We are the loveliness that charms the strongest..." Chosen for the 1997 ACDA National Convention women's chorus reading session.
SSA, SAA[or T] semi-chorus, and soprano solo with piano; French. Medium.
Our latest contribution to the "simple does not have to mean stupid" niche. First published in 1885, these settings are modest in scope, yet imaginatively constructed. With considerable rhythmic energy, independence of the two voices, harmonic variety, and interesting accompaniments, they transcend the idiom of the Victorian parlor ballad which they superficially resemble.
SA & Piano; English. Easy.
1. Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred.....TC-221.....$1.70....Preview
2. A Poor Soul Sat Sighing.....TC-222.....$1.20....Preview
Sky-Born Music.....TC-298.....$1.70
Tillen, Paula Foley Preview
The poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson expresses the Transcendental truth that inspiration—sky-born music—shines through all of nature, even the lowest, un-pretty parts. The composer’s soaring melody perfectly expresses the joy of the text. Good for when you need a “spiritual but not religious” piece for non-sectarian use. SSAA Chorus, Soprano Solo, and Piano; English; Medium.
A
Song of Rain.....TC-174.....$1.70
Boyd, Anne
This piece gives your chorus a chance to play with sound: tone clusters build, and the choral wind machine cranks up, to herald the storm. Then the choral “pitter-patter,” using hocket and overlapping rhythms, portrays the rain falling on parched Australian towns.
- SSA (some divisi), soprano solo, a cappella
- duration: 3’ 05”
- range: g-g”
- difficulty: medium.
This new edition of Holst’s beloved settings (from Tennyson’s long narrative poem) reveals them to be models of musical economy for the time-starved teacher, as well as gems of pure loveliness. Devices such as antiphonal and echo choirs, repeated sections in parallel major and minor, and well-handled canonic techniques, make each movement a distinctive delight.
5 movements: SSAA/SSAA; SSAA/SSAA; SSAA; SSA; SSSAA, all a cappella; English. Medium.
Songs
of Sunrise
Smyth,
Ethel (1858-1944)
1. Laggard Dawn.....TC-102.....$1.20
"Sisters, the poor and friendless need you..." An elegaic song of keeping hope alive during the long struggle for women's suffrage, first published in 1911. Lovely horn calls in paired voices, with an effective chromatic coda.
SSA a cappella. Easy.
3. The March of the Women.....TC-101.....$1.20
"Shout! Shout! Up with your song!" The battle anthem of the British women's suffrage movement, this stirring piece expresses women's strength and solidarity in wider struggles, "shoulder to shoulder and friend to friend." First published in 1911.
SSA and piano. Easy.
Songs
of the City
Ritchie, Anthony
A little girl pretends she is dressed in her mother's wedding gown. With her dandelion bouquet and tiara of daisies she welcomes her imaginary guests in this nostalgic hesitation waltz setting.
SA, piano, flute, and cello. Easy.
Instrumental parts:
- Flute.....TC-136-FL.....$1.20
- Cello.....TC-136-VC.....$1.20
A "Cries of London" for right now, this bouncy boogie-woogie praises city sights, sounds, and smells: neon lights, the bus conductor's call, and the inviting smells from take-away restaurants. "It's the city life for me!" SA, piano, flute, and cello. Easy/Medium.
Instrumental parts:
- Flute.....TC-137-FL.....$1.70
- Cello.....TC-137-VC.....$1.70
Spring
Pastoral: Lisa.....TC-128.....$1.70
Howe,
Mary
(1882-1964)
"Lisa, go dip your long white hands/In the cool waters of that spring..." The "evanescent dreaminess" (Mrs. Howe's words) of the text are set in an impressionistic style, with repeated evocations of "Lisa, Lisa" by the chorus. First published in 1936.
SSA and piano. Medium.
Tango
Dada.....TC-182.....$2.25
Smith, Jim
The utterly silly text free-associates from "tango" ("A tutu and also a tattoo") as the chorus sings sultry tango rhythms. With castanets, of course! Written for Diva Complex.
- SSAA a cappella
- duration: 3’10”
- range: a-a”
- difficulty: medium
Three
Seas…..TC-181…..$2.85
Parker,
Alice
Alice Parker here uses simple devices to achieve sophisticated effects: first, choral unisons expanding to long chords; then melodic tritones in 5/8 meter, with the voices in canon; then rocking rhythms in contrary motion. Instrumental score and parts are available from the publisher.
- There is a solitude of space
- SAA with piano OR 2 flutes, harp, and bassoon
- English
- duration: 2’10”
- range: a flat - g flat”
- difficulty: medium
- As if the Sea should part
- SSA with piano OR harp and bassoon
- duration: 1’50”
- range: b-f”
- difficulty: medium
- A soft Sea washed around the House
- SA with piano OR flute, harp and bassoon; English
- duration: 2’55”
- range: a-a”
- difficulty: medium
Three
Shakespeare Songs, Op. 39
Beach,
Amy (1867-1944)
Clear-textured settings of the fairies' songs from A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest, these songs are lavishly effective in their text setting, harmony, rhythm, and dynamics. The beauty of sound of women's voices shines through these pieces. First published in 1897.
SSAA a cappella; English. Medium difficulty.
Tragico tecti syrmate
(Clothed with Tragic
Robes).....TC-160.....$2.85
di Lasso, Orlando
This angels' lament for the destruction of a city is the crown of Renaissance music for upper voices. While each of the largely syllabic parts is independent, together they interweave in a stately harmonic rhythm, conveying both the dignity of formal mourning, and the richness of the city and its people that are no more. The text, with its images of ice, fire, smoke, and wind-borne ash, is chilling in its prescience of nuclear winter, and in its evocation of past and present wars.
This piece may be appropriately programmed for concerts centered around issues of peace and war, or commemorating the Holocaust or the bombing of Hiroshima.
- SSSAAA a cappella; Latin
- 12 pages, plus literary translation and editorial and performance notes
- duration: 5:45 min.(two sections)
- range: e to a"
- difficulty: medium
Under the
Greenwood
Tree....TC-268....$2.25
Noble,
Jr.,
Clifton J. Preview
This jaunty swing duet, from Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a lovers' dance of mutual attraction. Some of its "Come hither" passages are in seductive quarter-note triplets. Others are antiphonal, in swing eighths with rhythmic shifts of the text. This setting perfectly expresses the happy springtime flirtatiousness of the text.
SA and Piano; English; Medium.
The text, on the nature of divine love, is “unfolded” by progressively longer fragments, working back from the final word. Homophonic choral parts and a rippling accompaniment lend special charm to the texture.
SSAA & Piano; English. Easy.
The part song is back! These settings of lesser-known English and American secular poems are new gems for the repertoire, with sensitive text setting and lovely choral sound.
1. A
Welcome.....TC-236.....$1.70 Preview
"Welcome,
welcome do I sing" begins this enumeration of the beloved's beauties,
by William Browne of Tavistock. The joy of seeing the beloved, more
welcome than spring, bubbles up through this rhythmically energetic
setting.
SSA, a cappella;
English; Medium.
Christina Rossetti’s text is beautifully reflected in the quiet, almost detached mood of the beginning of this setting, which changes to a more impassioned sorrow at the words, "I shall not see the shadows."
SA and piano; optional cello, harp. Easy-Medium.
Will the City Mouse thrive on imported cheese or wig out from stress? Will the Country Mouse benefit from clean country air, or die from boredom? The swing rhythms of this charmer (from the composer of Treble Clef’s perennial favorite, “How Do I Love Thee?”) lead to a surprise ending to the fable you thought you knew.
SSAA & Acoustic Bass; English. Medium-Difficult.
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