Repertoire Suggestions Sought
  • pinkdressfrancine
    Posts: 32
    Hello, all! I know I don't post here that much, but I do lurk a fair amount, and I appreciate all of the wisdom that is collected here.

    I will be auditioning for a choir director position at a Catholic parish soon. As a part of the audition process, I need to provide a piece of music (ostensibly one the choir has not seen before) and attempt to teach it to the ensemble.

    This parish is used to a very "blended" style of music ministry. For example, I know that the congregation and choir chant the Jubilate Deo chants (Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) competently, in addition to using the Mass of a Joyful Heart with quasi-rock band instrumentation. The majority of their music is probably on the contemporary end, but they really do make an attempt to use at least some chant and more serious art music.

    As a CMAA member who believes in the ideals of the New Liturgical Movement / RotR what would you recommend I bring to this ensemble with only maybe 15-20 minutes to rehearse it with them? I think that it shouldn't be too "traditional," and I think that it should be in English. They told me that they would have a decent sized choir there for the audition, with strong singers on each part (SATB).

    Thanks in advance for any guidance you are able to give me. God bless you!
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    There is a very easy, hardly more difficult than a fairly simple SATB hymn, anthem by Christopher Tye called Laudate nomen Domini which might be perfect for your needs. It is often done in English with words that are similar to 'O all ye servants of the Lord', or something like that. It's about two or three pages long and would be very easy to teach. The first part is homophonic and the second part has some very easy and uncomplicated imitation.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    I would suggest the "Lord have mercy/Glory to God/Holy" from Paul Jernberg's St. Phillip Neri Mass.
    Thanked by 1Adam Wood
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    This would not be everyone's choice, but my suggestion is that you are going to need to turn their hearts to singing with you in just a few minutes.

    This lovely hymn can work in your favor...if you teach it to them and then work to get them singing it very softly (something many Catholic choirs find foreign) and then sing it with you bringing out slight crescendos and decrescendos, totally with your hands and a smile.

    If they really take to it. then open them up on the last verse and let the sound roll around them.

    Unless they are a very experienced choir they will be rather amazed at the beauty of the sound that you have produced in a just a few minutes.

    The back half of The Catholic Choirboy Anthology is full of old hymns that Catholics love and new ones to stretch their ears as well. This music was all included to turn the hearts of congregations and singers as you proceed to make the choir should lovely and open doors to new or music in English and Latin.

    The best of luck to you, it's sort of like a first date! Am I going to like them, will they like me? Please let us know how it goes.

    M. Jackson Osborn and melofluent are excellent, for sure, and may work better for you than this.



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  • pinkdressfrancine
    Posts: 32
    UPDATE: I didn't get the job. The pastor was unwilling to provide any reasons, but someone from the committee told me that they were concerned about my musical style preferences. C'est la vie. I am blessed to have other musical employment so this is not that big a loss for me. Thanks be to God for my blessings. Thanks to all who offered suggestions either here or via PM.
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 986
    Hopefully, to the extent that your preferences are those of the Church, you can know that you would have very legitimate and objectively-formed concerns about their preferences, too, and that you have been saved a good deal of grief.

    Best of luck in all your endeavours!
    Thanked by 2Spriggo eft94530
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,021
    Too late for this round, but I would suggest Peter Lutkin's "Benediction". It's early 20th century, begins quite vertically (hymn-like), but the last page is a multiple "amen" that leaves every part on their own.
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