Need HS men's quartet contest piece ASAP

Date: January 14, 2010

Hi all,

I have a group of 4 HS guys that really do well together, and I need a good contest piece for them asap. They were doing "De animals a'comin" (arr. Bartholomew), but they blew right through it. I'd like something a little harder and a *little* longer.

I was thinking "Vive l'amour" might be a little harder (maybe not longer). Any other suggestions? I consulted the ChoralNet Repertoire TTBB page, and many of those pieces I know - but most work best with choirs (not quartets), and some wouldn't be best for competition.

Thanks!

Dan Kreider

Reply >>

John Howell on January 14, 2010 2:18pm

Dan, I would have to ask what kind of contest it is. The tunes you mention are not suitable for Barbershop, nor are they suitable for a cappella Doo-Wop. They're more out of the Glee Club tradition. "Dry Bones" would certainly fit that bill, as would the old barbershop tune "Oh, Joe."

And I wouldn't assume that ANY arrangement needs a chorus rather than a quartet (speaking now not as an arranger but as a quartet singer for about 20 years!). It all depends on what the quartet does with the music.

All the best,

John

Denise Baccadutre on January 14, 2010 8:43pm

Dan - Here are some festival pieces my students have sung in the past. Hope this helps.

-Denise B.

The Foggy, Foggy Dew TTBB Weiss Warner LG70246

Nmphs and Shepherds TTBB Pucell/Schilling Warner LG51006

She Moved Through the Fair TBB Takach Kjos 5578

Rantin’, rovin’ Robin TTBB A. Davison E.C. Schirmer No. 84

Come, again, sweet love TTBB a. Davison E. C. Schirmer No. 35

My heart doth beg you’ll TTBB L. Saar E. C. Schirmer No. 561

not forget

Viva Tutti TTB Hunter Lawson LG00778

Amo, Amas, I Love a Lass TTB Kivell Kjos Ed. 5571

Silent Noon TTBB Kaufmann Presser 62-13322

Down Among the Dead Men TTBB Vaughn Wiliams ECS 1.5025

One by One TTBB Leavitt HL 08703116

Prayer of the Children TTBB Klouse Warner CH96166

Children Go Where I Send Thee TBB Crocker HL 47103041

Grumble Too Muich TTBB Powell HL 08742346

Highland Mary TTBB Mulholland HL EUAMEA817

Hush! Somebody’s TTBB Dennard Shawnee C0278

Callin’ My Name

What Shall We Do with TTBB Bartholomew G. Schirmer 7422

the Drunken Sailor

Gentle Annie TTBB Shaw-Parker Lawson-Gould LG00859

Two Rennaissance Carols TBB Robinson Warner OCTM00001

for Men

Three Irish Folk Songs TBB Deale Hal Leonard 08301597

The Boatmen’s Dance TTBB Copland/Fine Boosey OCTB1908

Mouth Music TTBB Keane/Faulkner Earthsongs M-028

Minstrel Boy TTBB Jeffers Earthsongs M-04

John McDonald on January 15, 2010 6:33am

I would definitely suggest any of the Robert Shaw sea shanty arrangements including: Blow the Man Down, What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?, and The Drummer and the Cook, just to name a few.

Also the Walter Ehret arrangement of The Eddystone Light is a great fun piece.

For a more "high-brow" men's chorus piece, look at Randall Thompson's Last Words of David for TTBB or any of the movements from The Testament of Freedom by Thompson.

Hope this helps!

~John McDonald~

Choral Director

Oakland High School

Murfreesboro, TN

Paul Sinasohn on January 18, 2010 10:51am

As John Howell said, it would really help to know what sort of contest this is. BHS is very different from IHSCA.

I would add CHing a RIng Chaw by Copland and La Pastorella by Schubert to the list, and these are some contemporary favorites:

Mood Indigo, arr George Van Leaman, Gotham Music 1931

Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen) - several available, I have one that is cool.

Lullaby by Billy Joel - also several available.

Paul Sinasohn