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Historical: Significant choral works since 1975Colleagues: Thank you all so much for your "nominations," I look forward to discovering many of the suggested scores. A compilations follows, and if I receive any follow-up ideas, I'll send another compilation. Happy Thanksgiving to all-- I'm grateful for the ChoraList, among many other things. With best wishes, Betsy Burleigh Cleveland State University b.burleigh(a)csuohio.edu "Signficant" Choral Works Since 1975 > [Original Message] > From: Betsy Burleigh > I'd be curious to hear your suggestions as to "significant" choral works > written since 1975. Specifically I'm looking for works written for chamber > choir (40 voices or fewer) with or without instrumental accompaniment. I'm > looking for things you've either heard or performed which struck you as > exceptional, and am particularly interested in things written by American > composers. Please, no self-nominations. I'll happily compile and post a > list. ===============From: Elizabeth Hanger Paul Chihara's "When We Are Leaving" (or perhaps it's "When Are We Leaving" sorry I'm not sure!...) was being rehearsed by Steve Sano's outstanding chamber chorus at Stanford yesterday when I was visiting; a superbly colored double chorus piece that would work very well for 40 or fewer, a cappella. "Tefellin" by John Adams Rupert Lang's Mass for Many Nations, Ubi Caritas, and "Spirit of the Child" Imant Raminsh, "In the Beginning" James MacMillan's new work "Heycoka Te Deum" =================From: John Helgen The Missa Brevis by Daniel Kallman, written in about 1998 He has a website at www.kallmancreates.com =================From: Marjorie Drysdale Check out works by Gwyneth Walker, whose music is represented by E.C. Schirmer, Boston, MA. Our chorus of 20 voices has enjoyed several of her works, including: Sounding Joy! SATB River Songs (for SATB chorus and orchestra) I Will Be Earth (women) Love is a Rain of Diamonds (women) My Love Walks in Velvet Long Ago Lady Gone the Rainbow I also recommend the sacred works of Kathy Wonson Eddy. Favorites include: Selections from "Cry of the Wild Goose:" The Eye of God Trim the Cruisie's Failing Light 'Round Our Skiff Be God's Aboutness "Table Graces" "St. Brigid's Blessing" (for women) Kathy is represented by Quaker Hill Press, 30 Highland Ave., Randolph, Vermont, 05060. ===============From: nancy wade There are many wonderful works written by Dave Brubeck since then. To name a few: Mass To Hope! A Celebration Pange Lingua Variations The Voice Of The Holy Spirit Hold Fast To Dreams -- Major work using Langston Hughes" poetry as the text ================From: rhouseh(a)uwindsor.ca (Richard Householder) My nomination is "Magnificat" by Imant Raminsh. It is scored for SATB chorus with some divisi, Mezzo soprano soloist and piano accompaniment. The accompaniment was later orchestrated for full orchestra, but I like the original piano version better. It is published by Boosey & Hawkes. ================From: pam schneller I really like Ruth Watson (Henderson)'s Missa Brevis. It's about 11 minutes and a cappella. Beautiful voice leading, shimmering harmonies. Published by Gordon Thompson as part of the Elmer Isler series. ================From: Allen H Simon Ruth Watson (Henderson): Missa Brevis, for 6-part unaccompanied choir (Canadian) Imant Raminsh: Ubi Caritas, a cappella (also Canadian) Trond Kverno, Ave Maris Stella (1976) (Norwegian) (6-part a cappella) Knut Nystedt, O Crux (1978; Norwegian) David Hurd, Love Bade Me Welcome Arvo P:art, Magnificat (1989; Estonian) =================From: Eric Stark Bernstein re-set his "choruses from The Lark" at Shaw's request as a missa brevis, with countertenor solo and percussion. I did it with my chamber choir a year ago and will do it again with my madrigal group this spring. It's pretty zippy. =================From: David Bohn Some of the first ones that came to mind are much too large for your requirements (John Melby's "Thanatopsis" and Elliot Goldenthal's "Fire Water Paper", both excellent works, but requiring massive forces). I would certainly nominate is Arvo Part's Miserere (over any of his other extended works). There's also a part of me that would nominate Giles Swayne's CRY, for 28 solo voices, but I'd be concerned about the logistics of the live electronics (in one version of the piece). I have a recording of the work, and it never fails to move me, but dealing with real-time electronic processing of voices... There's a piece by Bill Brooks (late of the University of Illinois, currently at York Univeristy in Britain) called "In Memoriam Reducere Studemus" for Solo vocal quartet, chorus, and piano. =================From: Philip Glenn Two nominations. Peter Quince at the Clavier - D. Argento O Magnum Mysterium - M. Lauridsen (and I am sure others of his) =================From: ALLEN REDFORD Last year we did a 5 movement work for chorus and piano titled "Song of the Earth" by composer Patrick Beckman and poet Daniel Smith. The new commission was part of an NEA funded project called "Continental Harmony". You can check out a description of the work at ttp://www.pbs.org/harmony/community/proj_il_freeport.html There is also a link to the composer at http://ch.composersforum.org/communities/programs.cfm?StateInitialIL ================From: James Green John Rutter - Requiem (1985 or 1986) " Rutter - Te Deum " Rutter - Gloria Randol Bass - Gloria Robert Young - Emmanuel, God With Us minatures: Robert Young - There is No Rose of Such Virtue Michael Larkin - A Spotless Rose John Rutter - What Sweeter Music Anders Nyberg - set of "South African Praises" John Rutter - Jesus Child =================From: Jeffrey Jones-Ragona By far, my favorite recent extended choral work is "A Toccata of Galuppi," by Dominic Argento. It was premiered by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale in the summer of 1990. It is for small chorus (Argento recommends at least 16 voices, the SFDC used 24), off-stage harpsichord and string quartet. It is published by Boosey and Hawkes. =================From: Scott Williamson I'm sure you've already received nominations for Morten Lauridsen's works: Mid-Winter Songs (w/piano or orch) Lux Aeterna (chamber orch or organ) I would also recommend the works of New York Composer Robert Convery I have a dream (bari solo, chorus & strings) Requiem Lullaby in the time of AIDS (sop solo, choir, oboe & pno) Songs of Children (Holocaust memorial cantata) Choir, piano quartet William Bolcolm: The Mask (choir & piano) Dominick Argento: Peter Quince at the Clavier (choir & piano) =================From: David Whitehouse There is a significant American composer by the name of Jon (sic) Polifrone, who has written many compositions for varied forces including a significant Requiem scored for chorus and orchestra. It is well worth your time. =================From: Kari Turunen head of choral activities, Tampere Conservatory of Music Einojuhani Rautavaara: Die erste Elegie (Rainer Maria Rilke), 1993, SATB with divisi, Fazer/ Warner F 08462-4 Magnificat, 1979, SATB divisi, Fazer/Warner F07992-1 Mikko Heiniö: Landet som icke är (Elisabeth Södergran), 1980, SSA and piano, Fazer/Warner F06618-3 ================From: Tom Cunningham I'd like to recommend an exceptional work I performed last year. It is "A Holiday Triptych" by Eric Delson, an American composer currently resident in Europe. While tonal in construction, it is brilliantly inventive in its structure. Composed for choir, soprano solo and symphony orchestra, it can also be performed with piano accompaniment. "A Holiday Triptych" (1999) comprises three "panels" based on traditional melodies, one Hebrew, one German, one French and lasts about 18 minutes. The work uses a similar orchestra to Poulenc's Gloria: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets in A, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, double bassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion, timpani and strings. ==============From: Jack Warren Burnam I'd like to nominate "A Festival Song" by Craig Phillips, a gifted young American composer who understands how to write effectively and substantively for voices. Scored for chorus, soprano and baritone soloists and chamber orchestra, it sets a text excerpted from Walt Whitman's "Proud Music of the Storm." Moderately challenging but accessible, it packs an enormous variety into 15 minutes: drama, lyricism, grandeur, great tunes and captivating vocal and instrumental color. "A Festival Song" was commissioned by CoroAllegro, a chamber chorus of 24 voices, with the intent of enlarging the limited repertoire of substantial, accessible secular choral works with small orchestra, and we gave the premiere in April 1999. We absolutely loved it, and so did our audience! It is being published by ECS and should be out shortly. ===============From: Ruth Charloff Here is an excellent recent work premiered in spring 2000, by a Los Angeles-based composer: Byron Adams, "Trois Illuminations" for harp and chorus (three poems of Rimbaud). Premiered by Los Angeles Chamber Singers, Peter Rutenberg, conductor. ===============From: Jonathan Miller Bob Chilcott, Fragments from his dish Lauridsen, Les chansons des roses Arvo Pärt, Magnificat David Huff, Requiem Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson (Iceland): Immanúel oss i nátt Rautavaara -- Lorca suite Trond Kverno -- Ave maris stella Giles Swayne -- Magnificat (wow!) there are of course fabulous arrangements out there, but those above are all "original" works. I might also add: Purcell / Sandström: Hear my prayer, O Lord Moses Hogan, "Elijah Rock" Joe Jennings, "Where the sun will never go down" ================From: "C. M. Shearer" David Ward-Steinman's "Of Wind and Water." Written for chamber choir, piano, two percussionists. Unpublished, but available from the composer (e-mail is dwardste(a)mail.sdsu.edu). Twelve minutes. Four movements. ===============From: Kathryn Bowers I think William Hawley's choral works are really stunning. I was in Ely Cathedral once when our church choir was singing services there. A London choir was practicing for a concert they were doing in the Lady Chapel. I was really stunned by the beauty of the Hawley piece they were practicing. I don't recall which piece it was, but I think I would recommend anything by him. ===============
on November 24, 2004 10:00pm
The Beauty of Holiness (1988) Kenneth Leighton for Mixed Choir with treble semichorus/solo and organ. Wonderful work! I'm surprised no one has mentioned Eric Whitacre. This man is truly incredible. Cloudburst, Water Night, Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machiene...i could go on and on... check out his website: www.ericwhitacre.com it has clips of his works |
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Lucien Guerinel (b. in 1930) :
-les Sept Portes (the Seven Doors), on a texte by Yves Namur, for double-choir, soloists (issued from choirs), strings (4.4.3.3.2) and percussions (2 players). About 70 minutes. 1st performance at Aix en Provence, 31 may 1998. Editions Jobert, Paris
Philippe Hersant (b. in 1948) :
-l'Infinito, on an italian text by Federico Fellini, written when he was student at the French Academy in Rome (Villa Medicis) in 1984, for chorus a capella
-Landschaf mit Argonauten (1999), on a german text by Heiner Muller for mezzo solo, mixed chorus and 8 trombones
Patrick Burgan (b. in 1964) :
-la Puerta de la luz, on a spanish text by FG Lorca, written in 1994 when he was at the Villa Medicis, for chorus a capella
Jacques Charpentier (b. in 1933) :
-Te Deum (1983) for mixed choir, organ and percussions
Olivier Kaspar (b. in 1964) :
-Messe (1992), for mixed chorus and timpani. Once again written when he was in Rome.
Maxime Kaprielian
Chorus master
www.choeurvildav.net