Hi, Debbie.  Don't tell your professor this, but that's a really strange assignment, unless there's some actual logic behind it that you haven't told us.  Anyone who has a single "favorite" anything simply doesn't have a broad enough background to know how many potential "favorites" there really are, and that's the background you should be learning in a Choral Lit course!

 

Besides, the Renaissance covered over 200 years in countries all over Europe.  Which time period and which country?!!!  (But it's always safe to cite Lasso, since he worked in many places and mastered the language and musical styles of all of them.)

 

All the best,

 

John

 

 

 

Check out a the repertoire lists and public domain editions at the above site. The "Choral Treasure Hunts" were sessions presented by choral music educators for music educators (not selling anything!). There are many examples and free editions of Renaissance music appropriate for various levels. Though I certainly agree with John Howell, below, I hope that these resources can help you get started in this and future repertoire searches. By the way, high school and middle school students respond very positively to Renaissance music! Best wishes, RRW

Debbie:

 

While I agree with John that it may be hard to pinpoint a single piece, that doesn't sound like what your professor is asking you to find. Though they may balk at first, high school kids usually end up admitting that there is "something" about Renaissance music that makes it truly beautiful. I have found that the following pieces have always worked well with my high school choir:

I have found that with patience, both on the part of the choir and the director, these pieces are very rewarding at the high school level.

 

Good luck,

David Headings

Hello:

I agree, there's just too much out there to claim a single favorite renaissance choral work. However...there are a "many" standouts in my memory...and one of them is by Orlando Lassus.....In Hora Ultima. 

Good luck with your assignment.

Tom

 

Debbie,

 

Check out early music recordings such as The Voices of Ascension  Beyond Chant.  There are so many pieces, madrigals, motets, chansons, etc.  Also, go to your favorite choral music store and go through SSA, SSAA, SATB, SAB, etc. arrangements of the afore mentioned genre.  If you are looking for Jr. high or high school, watch for voice crossings, range & tessitura of each part, how well and how recent the piece has been edited, etc.  Start with British, Italian, and French composers of the time period.  Then just have fun exploring!

 

Good luck!

 

Dr. Linda Jones

 I'd suggest looking for the works straddling changes in technique, voicing which were on the cusps, as it were of social and theoretical changes. The raw energy of Perotin/Dufay/Obrecht et al. The Elegant complexity of the Eton Choirbook composers/ The Polychoral splendor akin to the architecture of Venice/ The audacious chromaticism of Vicentino/Gesualdo/. 

Explore how the court and Cathedral interacted, how the Reformation & Counter-reformation spurred new liturgical needs, how the 30 years war impacted the forms used.

'Favorites' really should be about the surprising flexability of the creative mind to the challanges of the time.

SIR

<www.renaissancechorus.org>

Lots of free music at www.cpdl.org with many early composers available.  One of our favorites is Orlando Gibbons "Hosanna to the Son of David."

thank you guys so much. as for the reason why just renaissance she is having us do it for every time period.