It's in English and secular, but you may be interested in my setting for
unaccompanied TTBB men's chorus of "A Country Boy in Winter," a poem by 19th
Century American poet Sarah Orne Jewett. The piece will be premiered March
5, 2004, at the Society of Composers National Conference. I'll paste the
full text below. It is a light, fun, playful piece. Duration approx. 3 &
1/2 minutes. I'd be happy to forward a perusal score either by email (as a
pdf file) or by regular mail if you are interested.
-Greg Bartholomew

My TTBB arrangement of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is coming out in May on
Shawnee's Mark Foster label. It's very rhythmic and fun. I hope you'll
check it out. If you want a preview copy just let me know.

David McCollum, Elkin, NC

C H O R A L W O R K S
B Y J I R Í L A B U R D A
IV. W o r k s f o r M a l e C h o i r

1. Enamoured, 2 Male Choruses (Czech) (1978,1998) (5´) - AC
2. Two Male Choruses, on Moravian Folk Poetry
(Moravian) (1985) (4´) - AC
3. Mattona mia cara, Madrigal on Italian renaissance Text (Italian) (1976)
(5´) - AC
4. Ut omnes homines vivant humaniter (Version for Male Choir) on Text by
J. A. Komenský (Latin, English) (1991) (6´) - SC
5. The Pilger, 3 Male Choruses on the Texts by Rabíndranáth Tagore (Czech)
(1966, 1999) (13´) - AC
6. Memento, for Male Choir and Piano on Latin Text by Horatius (Latin)
(1985) (4´) TO
7. Three South Bohemian Folk Songs (German, Czech) (1970) (6´) - HU
8. Around the Town Sobeslav, 9 South Bohemian Folk Songs (Czech)
(1970,1991) (23´) - AC
9. Dov'e quel Bambinclo, Italian Christmas Song (Italian) (1992) (3´) -
AC
10. Two Old Czech Chorals, for 3-Voices Choir (Old Czech) (1994,1996)
4´) - AC
11. Three Old Czech Chorals, for 3-Voices Choir (Old Czech) (1999)
- AC
12. Haec dies, for 3-Voices Choir, Organ and Tympany (or with Organ, Tympany
and Strings too) (Latin) (1995,1997) (4´) - GR
13. Missa clara, for 2-3Voices Choir, Organ and Strings (or only with
Organ), (Latin) (1993,1996) (23´) - HA

Please visit my site at www.lassoscores.com

I would love to share my piece American Anthem with you (TTBB). The song was
sung by the chicago symphony chorus as well as by many high school and
college choirs throughout the country. Met star Denyce Graves has sung the
song with the National Symphony as well as on the Oprah Winfrey Show. I'd be
happy to send you a perusal copy, if you'd be interested.
All best, Gene Scheer

ps to find out more about my work please go to my website.. genescheer.com
-
There is a great TTBB arrangement of Thomas Tallis' "If Ye Love Me, Keep My
Commandments" on CPDL (Choral Public Domain Library). It has been
transposed to C major and the ranges are quite singable for high school men.

Diane Loomer (I think)
Ave Maris Stella - beautiful!

Try to get hold of the old Harvard Glee Club collections. Many good such
pieces in there. The Lotti Crucifixus comes immediately to mind, and your
boys will love it.

It isn't a foriegn language, but Leonard Enns has some quality stuff -
contact Monarda publications: monarda(a)lenns.ca. Much of it uses familiar
hymn texts to completely new melodies artfully arranged - in particular I
recommend "Holy Holy Holy" (not the melody you're thinking of, but the
words). Very appropriate for church.

If you really need foreign language stuff, Bruckner wrote over 30 peices for
men's choir that rarely get performed. Consequently they may be hard to
find, but written by a simple genius they're sure to be quality as well.
-
Thomas Beveridge arranged a chorale, "Dank sei unserm Herrn," for men's
voices. It's ECS #2198, probably one of their archive repro jobs now.
Beveridge was with the USArmy chorus at the time he did this, I believe.
It's well done.
-
Try "Anthems for Male Voices," Oxford, 2 vols. Some are for ATB.
Other thoughts:
Lotti: Vere Langures nostres 3 parts
We Will Walk through the Valley in Peace, arr. Appling very easy TBB.
Tchesnekov Let thy Holy Presence
Persichetti Song of Peace TTBB organ not hard
Bach cantata movements which were originally TB duets e.g.
"Wie Will ich mich Freuen" (not easy but satisfying)

Go to cpdl.org and check out the Palestrina offerings (my guys love
Panis Angelicus) or Tallis or Byrd. There not that hard and great to
sing in churches. I have a transcription of the Ravenscroft Psalm 23
that is easy and I do a lot with my guys.

I'd like to introduce you to 3 of my compositions. The first, I think,
would particularly fit your request. The scores can be seen and streaming
recordings heard for each title by clicking on the links below: - Brad
Nelson

1. "Agnus Dei" - http://www.gladdemusic.com/agnusdei(tbb).htm
2. "What The Thunder Said" - http://www.gladdemusic.com/thunder.htm
3. "Jamaica, Farewell!" - http://www.gladdemusic.com/jamaica.htm

There's a fantastic revoicing of Victoria's Ave Maria for TTBB, which I
learned first and have always preferred to the original. For a University
choir though, they might appreciate something a bit more academic. Last year
there were four of us here at UofToronto who wanted to do a ttbb quartet as
an early music ensemble, and found a lot of great rep looking through
complete works books of Scheidt and Schutz, and I'm sure you could find
great stuff for them in there! The other place to look obviously is the
CPDL (www.cpdl.org) which will have again, lots of ttbb music, you just
might have to sort through a lot of it. Enjoy searching!! JMB
-
I have three works for TTBB which were commissioned by St. John's
University - Axel Theimer. They are based on Advent, Christmas, Epiphany,
and are Tota Pulchra Est Maria, Puer Natus Est, and Omnes de Saba, all in
Latin.
Anne Kilstofte

Ave Maris Stella TTBB arr. Diane Loomer with solo Baritone Cypress
publishing CP 1007
Blogoslovi dushe moya Ghospoda Ippolitiv - Vivanov Musica Russica MRSM
Ip 004 mc

if you're open to sacred music of all types, Freedom Come by Ben Allaway
(TTBB) is excellent for many occasions. It is in South African style, has
been
done at many national events dealing with reconciliation. It is published
by
Santa Barbara Music Publishing, and can be seen at their website,
www.sbmp.com.
You can order copies directly from me, the composer, at
www.ben(a)benallaway.com.

Have you done the Bruckner "Ave Maria?" Like the Biebl, it is for double
chorus. Wallace DePue's arrangement of the canon "Sing dem Herrn" is a great
processional for men's voices. Hassler's "Dixit Maria" works well for men
if transposed from the original key. There is a TTBB version of Casals' "O
vos omnes" that works well if you have the basses for it. Also, I composed a
setting of "Salve regina" you might be interested in; I'll let you use it
for free if you give me a recording of your performance.

You may want to purchase a CD or two of the Ohio State Men's Glee Club, if
you are not already familiar with their repertoire. They do a lot of the
type of music your boys are describing.

There's a TTBB version of Randall Thompson's Alleluia that works very well
(he wrote it himself). If you like Morten Lauridsen's music, he's done a
TTBB version of O Magnum Mysterium. Though the text is most appropriate for
Christmas, I don't have a problem with performing that music year-round (and
since it's in Latin, most folks won't know anyway). Diane Loomer has a
lovely piece called Ave Maris Stella. It has a baritone solo and is
published by Cypress. Amice Christi Joannes (earthsongs) by Michael Sitton
is more challenging, but my men really enjoyed singing it. There's an
arrangement of Bogoroditse Devo from the Rachmaninoff Vespers published by
Musica Russica (a great source for men's music). There's an Ave Maria by
Josef Rheinberger (Carus) that works well. There are two works by a young
Slovenian composer named Damijan Mocnik published by Astrum. They're The
Beatitudes and The Prayer (available in Slovenian and English).

Nigra Sum - Pablo Casals TTB Tetra/Continuo
Salmo 150 - Ernesto Aquiar TTBB (can't remember publisher)
Cantique de Jean Racine - Faure - TTBB - Harmonia
Daemon Irrepit Callidus - Georgy Orban - TTBB (difficult) can't remember
publisher
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO RESPONDED TO MY REQUEST FOR QUALITY TTBB CHORAL MUSIC
APPROPRIATE FOR HIGH SCHOOL ENSEMBLES. I HAVE INCLUDED YOUR SUGGESTIONS
BELOW. AGAIN, THANK YOU.

Jonathan A. Palant
Choral Music Director
University School
2785 SOM Center Road
Hunting Valley, OH 44022
www.us.edu/gleeclub




The Stars are with the Voyager - Eleanor Daley - Rhythmic Trident Music
Publishing (in English, of course, but gorgeous)

If I may be so bold, please have a look at my setting of "Shenandoah"
published by Oxford. It is available in TTBB, STAB, or SSA.
Also, The Awakening by Joseph Martin is fine.
Kevin Riehle

*SING DEM HERRN (5-voice canon) is published by Warner Brothers; the order
number is SV8640. Michael Praetorius composed this canon for 2 to 5 voices
in any combination, and Wallace De Pue arranged it. Both English and German
texts are present. As a processional, this piece is tops! It is a "best
seller" for Warner Brothers, and was adopted by the Men's Chorus of Bowling
Green State University as its traditional processional. The English text
is:
-
Sing to the Lord, Alleluia!
We all love Him.
Praise to His name! Sing it with timbrel and harp!
Sing to the Lord, Alleluia!
Amen.
The vocal range is (D1-d2) EASY
-
The following come to mind: del Encina's Oy comamos y bevamos and Pues
que jamas olvidaros, both in the cpdl.org catalogue (which is well worth
skimming for dozens of other TTBB possibilities); Dvorak's Gram (G.
Schirmer, 1949); Kodaly's Mulato gajd (Universal, 1923); Poulenc's Quatre
prieres de St. Francois (Rouart, 1949); Rossini's Chant funebre (Boonin,
1972); Halsey Stevens Carols for men's voices (Peer, 1954); Victoria, O
regem coeli (also in the CPDL catalogue); and Hugo Wolf's Im Sommer and
Mailied (Musikwiss., 1974). Is that enough languages for you? :>)
For your information, the Dvorak, Poulenc, Rossini, Stevens, and Wolf
selections are also available from our own rental catalogue, which is listed
on our web site (www.nasingers.org).

Anyway, you probably already know this, but CPDL has tons of renaissance
stuff rearranged for TTBB. There was a great setting of the Tenebrae
responsories that I *thought* that I had, but I just searched my files and
didn't find them!

Jonathan A. Palant
Choral Music Director
University School
2785 SOM Center Road
Hunting Valley, OH 44022
www.us.edu/gleeclub

---

Here is a compilation of the wonderful suggestions sent to me
for men's chorus literature. Thank you VERY much!

Terry Koch
tkoch(a)bmi.net
________________________________________________________________
resources on ChoralNet on this topic:
choralnet.org > Repertoire > by Voicing > TTBB

The Awakening; TTBB; piano; Joseph M. Martin; Shawnee Press C 0286

I Hear America Singing; TTBB; piano; Carrie Kraft; Kjos 5581

I Music Be The Food of Love; TTBB; piano; David Dickau; Colla Voce PJMS-301

Who Are The Brave; TT(B)B; piano; Joseph M. Martin; Warner Bros SV9216

How Can I Keep From Singing?; T(T)BB; piano and oboe (we use soprano sax or
violin); /Bradley Ellingboe; Kjos 5572

Down In The Valley; TTBB; piano; /George Mead; Galaxy 1.1716

The Pasture from Frostiana Randall Thompson

Who are the Brave Joseph Martin

There's some good bits in "Carmina Burana." Also, Schubert has some good
Songs for Men.

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming arr. Roger Emerson
It's TBB with TTBB last few measures; piano accomp. Hal Leonard #08740098

"If Music Be The Food Of Love." by David Dickau
arranged for T.T.B.B. & SATB

Dan Gawthrop has a men's arrangement of Sing Me to Heaven.
There is Mead's Down in the Valley, and also Shenandoah, I think.
The Whiffenpoof's Song. (I found it on CPDL.org)

Testament of Freedom - Randall Thompson is a winner

Down in the Valley - Mead

Joseph Martin has alot of mens things out that are fairly easy, but really
sound! "Who Are the Brave" works well.

Unaccompanied TTBB men's chorus of "A Country Boy in Winter," by Greg
Bartholomew, a poem by 19th Century American poet Sarah Orne Jewett. It
is a light, fun, playful piece. Duration approx. 3&1/2 minutes. It was
premiered March 5, 2004, at the Society of Composers National Conference.
www.GregBartholomew.com

There's some Schubert pieces for male choir- delightful; Brahms has another
piece. There's another excellent piece Missae Cum jubilo of Maurice Duruflé
and this piece has organ obligatory. Also a set of pieces for Male Choir by
Jorge Córdoba V.

Try Dulaman by Michael McGlynn from www.michaelmcglynn.com - this tongue
twister has had significant exposure by Chanticleer and our own group
Anuna - he has also written other works very suitable for TB configuration -
including Ceann Dubh Dilis, Riu Riu [arrangement], Gaudete [arrangement],
August, Hin barra. His site also has secure online purchase of scores and
you can see [PDF downloads] partial scores and listen [MP3] to clips from
the pieces prior to purchase.

The Last Words of David by Randall Thompson


Thou Gavest (Tydi a Roddaist) by Arwel Hughes - amazing AMEN at the end
Sanctus Arwel Hughes
Psalm 148 (Praise the Lord) - Arwel Hughes
All through the Night - arr Arwel Hughes
Arwelfa John Hughes arrr Arwel Hughes
Ave Maria arr Arwel Hughes
Gwahoddiad arr Arwel Hughes
Hiraeth arr Arwel Hughes
My Lad what a mourning arr Arwel Hughes

Cwm Rhondda John Hughes/Arwel Hughes

Be Still Meuryn Hughes
So In Love Meuryn Hughes
Friday Meuryn Hughes
Calon Lan (Pure Heart) - arr Meuryn Hughes
Pantyfedwen Meuryn Hughes

Grand March from Aida arr Owain Arwel Hughes
Easter Hymn arr Owain Arwel Hughes

218 Rise Up My LoveRise upLMcCray sacred tbb
270 Shenandoah Robinson folk tbb
342 Standing on the Corner Loesser show tbb
Did You Hear The People Sing Shaw show ttb
?308 The Impossible dream Shaw show ttb
?328 The Impossible Dream Leigh/Leavitt secular ttb
Sine Nomine Vaughan Williams sacred ttbb
111 Dry Bones Gearhart secular ttbb
136 Hallelujah, Amen Handel sacred ttbb
140 Thanks be to... Handel sacred ttbb
154 Three Christmas Hoggard Christmas ttbb
190 Lennon/ McCartney II Lennon/ McCartney po ttbb
219 Brother Sing On McKinney secular ttbb
308 Man of LaMancha Shaw,K show ttbb
344 Do You Hear the People Sing? Lojeski show ttbb
356 Last Words of David Thompson sacred ttbb
365 God of our Fathers Warren sacred ttbb
?185 My Lovely Celia Larkin secular ttbb
?407 My Lovely Celia Munro madrigal ttbb
334 Mass Stomps sacred ttbb/s,a
240 How do I Love Thee Mulholland secular ttbb/sop

Note:
Brothers, Sing On is very stiring
Rise Up My Love is from the Song of Solomon and a real beauty
Alleluia, Amen is arranged from the same SATB Chorus from Judas Maccabeus
How do I Love Thee is romance personafied. Need a real soprano
Audrey Snyder has a great setting of Three Russian Folksongs strapping
fun, familiar Russian favorites

Peter Lutkin benediction by Craig C. Hawkins. It has recently had its
premiere on Cape Cod. You can see and hear it at:
http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?scoreidP091

Three works of Brad Nelson for men. They can be seen and heard at:
1. http://www.gladdemusic.com/agnusdei(tbb).htm - TBB verison. A live
recording of the SATB version can be heard at
http://www.gladdemusic.com/agnusdei(satb)(3).htm
2. http://www.gladdemusic.com/jamaica.htm
3. http://www.gladdemusic.com/thunder.htm

Exsultate Justi, by Brant Adams- men's chorus and pian

---

More respondents have added their recommendations for male
chorus literature. Again, I am VERY grateful for their suggestions.
Terry Koch tkoch(a)bmi.net

1. Look for the Yale Song Book, an edition prior to about 1971, which
is when the University first began admitting women to the undergraduate
programs. While a number of pieces therein are TTBB arrangements of
choral music that was not originally for men's voices, quite a number
_were_ originally composed for TTBB.

2. Look (in MUSICA, e.g.) for anything written by Marshall
Bartholomew or Fenno Heath. Bartholomew was Conductor of the Yale Glee
Club for many years until his retirement (in the mid-1950s, I think,
although it may have been later); Heath was a graduate student and
Bartholomew's assistant, and later successor as Glee Club conductor.
Almost anything he wrote before about 1971 will have been composed for
men's voices; later ones were for mixed choirs. I particularly
remember his "Death Be Not Proud", a setting of a John Donne text, which
I heard in Toronto in the 1980's during a visit of the Glee Club. That
version was for mixed voices; but that version was not then available
except in manuscript, the published version having been written for TTBB
some years earlier. (At least, I suppose TTBB; the mixed version was
divisi in all four SATB parts at one point or another, and I can imagine
8-part voicing in portions of the earlier version.)

3. Cole Porter was a Yale man, and at least some of his earlier vocal
works will have had male performers in mind. I don't know that corpus,
though, nor whether one could find choral works therein.

4. Presumably similar strategies would be useful for other
universities that were men-only for many years: Dartmouth, Harvard,
Princeton, Amherst ... I don't happen to know the names of any
resident composers in those institutions, however.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You might enjoy looking at "Beat! Beat! Drums!" for male voices, TTBB by
James Myers, from Roger Dean Publishing. It intertwines Whitman's "Bivouac
on a Mountainside" and "By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame" within the three
stanzas of the title poem.