Needed: Music for Two-part choir (S/B or S-T/A-B) with or without organ
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I have a few things in my choir library for two-part choir:

    Christ the Glory (S/B) -- J-F Laoullette (GIA)
    Lord of Life, King of Glory (S/B/) -- Michaelangelo Grancini (GIA)
    Ave Verum Corpus (S/B) -- Noel Jones
    Ave Maria (S/B) -- Chuck Giffen
    Exultate Justi (S/B) -- Adriano Banchieri
    Various things from "Bread from Heaven" -- ed. Heath Morber
    Be Ye Sure, from "Utrecht Jubilate" (S/B) -- G. F. Handel
    Ave Verum (S-T/A-B) -- Gabriel Faure
    Panis Angelicus (S/B) -- Cesar Franck, arr Pierre Gouin

    Are there any like pieces that anyone would suggest to add to this list? (Preferably things that could be used throughout the year, not specific to a Season) I find that two-part pieces can be very useful, especially since my choir's Tenor section isn't that strong on their own yet (new to part-singing), and I have precious few Altos (who are also new to part singing) - we do have some simple SAB and SATB things that we do/have done: We did Peter Kwasniewski "Miserere a 3" on Good Friday, and it went very well.

    I have an especial interest in New Music by Living Composers, or Obscure Music by Obscure Composers, or even Obscure Music by Well-known Composers. So--if anyone has any original compositions they'd like to share, they are more than welcome.
    Thanked by 1bonniebede
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Here are some 3-part things:

    Ave Maris Stella by Grieg (SSA)
    O Salutaris Hostia by Andre Caplet SSA or TTB
    Ave Verum Corpus by Des Prez
    Panis Angelicus by Casciolini
    Haec Dies a 3 by Byrd

    I don't have too many 2-part pieces, but I recently came across the Ave Maria duet by Camille St. Saens which is quite delightful, I think:

    http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/sain-avm.pdf

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9hEF_c9tfw

    Thanked by 2bonniebede Salieri
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 517
    If you have an account with St. James Music Press, there's a nice arrangement of the Shaw With a Voice of Singing for 2 equal or mixed parts. They also have brass parts available for the 4-part edition that be leaving a couple of measures out work with the 2-part version. We used it at Easter.

    In general, though, I think you'd find SJMP a great resource for smaller choirs.
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 517
    I know you mentioned 2-part choir, but I'd also recommend two editions I made for CPDL that are for unison choir:

    The Call

    Ave Maria
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 517
    I know you mentioned 2-part choir, but I'd also recommend two editions I made for CPDL that are for unison choir:

    The Call

    Ave Maria
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,150
    Marc, Ralph Vaughan Williams "The Call" (No. 4 from "Five Mystical Songs") is a wonderful piece - for solo baritone - as your re-engraving of the original attests. However, especially in the original key of E-flat, the tessitura is rather too high (unless your Basses or Altos are comfortable with a high F). Moreover, this Vaughan Williams original is (thanks to the third stanza) really more suited to solo singing than to unison chorus singing.
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    Salieri, I posted my SB "Taste and See" (not from the aforementioned "Bread from Heaven") for SB, organ and optional oboe/viola:

    http://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/uploads/FileUpload/a8/83201264e594b4550437ae78d1fe9e.pdf

    I use it about twice a year when I've not had a mid-week rehearsal . . . my choir learned it the first time in about 10 minutes!
    Thanked by 1mlabelle
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    A new collection presents 75 motets for two solo voices and organ by Peter Philips (1560?-1628):

    Peter Philips: 75 Motets for 2 Solo Voices and Organ Continuo From Paradisus Sacris Cantionibus (1628)
    Thanked by 3StimsonInRehab CHGiffen Heath
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Salieri,

    Your usrname's namesake has a nice two part De Profundis... First time I sung it, I did a double take!
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 517
    However, especially in the original key of E-flat, the tessitura is rather too high (unless your Basses or Altos are comfortable with a high F).


    We usually do it down a third, but I do expect my lower voices to be able to handle a piece in this range.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Yes, Ben! We did that during Lent (should've included it in the list above). It is a fabulous piece!
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    I just saw this exquisite piece on CPDL:

    Dulcis Christe by Michaelangelo Grancini for SA. Looks like it has some real possibilities:

    http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/2/2e/Grancini_Dulcis.pdf
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    AH! Thanks Julie: That's the original of the "Lord of life, King of glory" I listed above. It is a wonderful piece, in Latin or English.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,045
    There is a metric crapton of two-part music from the pre-V2 period on IMSLP. Some of it is even good. 2 parts is about what we can muster in my brave little schola. We're doing a bright and easy Regina Coeli by Jef Tinel (his uncle Edgar Tinel wrote a Mass in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes that was deservedly praised by RR Terry). We also do an alternatim Ave maris stella by Perosi and an O salutaris by his associate Luigi Cervi. There are some nice things in the French repertoire (Gounod and Faure esp.). We've worked on the Faure Ave verum, but there are some wicked harmonic turns. Basically, anything TB is fair game (we only have one woman, so I treat her as a 4' tenor). Things specified as SA don't work as well, because the voice lines get tangled in the bass line. Don't forget about the St. Gregory Hymnal (4-part version is online, but I can't remember where I got it). And I've written several things for unison with optional 2nd part and organ; let me know if interested.
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    From Chonak above:

    "A new collection presents 75 motets for two solo voices and organ by Peter Philips (1560?-1628)"

    This looks unbelievably intriguing . . . but I can't find even one sample on-line of any of these. Anyone else have any luck? I'd love to get a sense of these to see if they are a worthwhile purchase.
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    Also, Dalitz's Bicinia are very usable (scroll down):

    http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Christoph_Dalitz
    Thanked by 1Salieri
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,045
    The librarian in me looks at the spiral binding, and the lack of a named publisher on Amazon, and says, "You want $100 for what?" (which is actually a fairly reasonable price as such things go...but we hates us some spiral bindings)

    As for the works themselves (as opposed to the edition), Antico came out with a collection of 15 of the solo-voice motets in 1991. J. Randall Zercher did a DMA doc on the three-voiced motets from this collection (U. of Missouri KC, 1983). There have been some recordings, most notably by Erik van Nevel's group Currende on Accent (1990). I haven't found an online source yet for the original Phalese print.

    Thanked by 3melofluent CHGiffen Salieri
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    There is a metric crapton of two-part music from the pre-V2 period on IMSLP.


    I'm sorry, but can you convert that to standard buttloads?
    Thanked by 3eft94530 Cantus67 JL
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    4287 buttloads, for us Americans.
    Thanked by 3Adam Wood eft94530 JL
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    This looks unbelievably intriguing . . . but I can't find even one sample on-line of any of these. Anyone else have any luck? I'd love to get a sense of these to see if they are a worthwhile purchase.


    I'll look into that.
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,767
    This is probably slightly less than what one would wish for, but there's always hope.
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • Cantus67Cantus67
    Posts: 207
    You're most welcome to use these if you wish.

    R
    3006 Ave Maris Stella - Dufay 3rd ed.pdf
    75K
    3019 - Sicut Cervus 2 Pt.pdf
    30K
    3014 Tota Pulchra Es 2 vocibus.pdf
    19K
    427 Jesu Rex Admirabilis with chant.pdf
    25K
    3016 Bonus Est Dominus.pdf
    17K
    Thanked by 5Heath Salieri janetgorbitz mmeladirectress veromary
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,075
    reviving an old thread to say thanks Cantus67 for providing the Jesu Rex Admirabilis with alternate chant verses; I can use this.

    also am looking for 2v (or possibly 3v) pieces suitable for a Requiem Mass (EF) - at CPDL I found a Dalitz Requiem Aeternam, but not much else. any ideas?

  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    There are some lovely pieces for 2 voices by Orlando Lassus. My son and I have learned one and are learning a second, as part of his Music History course.
    Thanked by 2canadash mmeladirectress
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 800
    Keep Me Safely (Handel, arr Proulx), available from GIA is a nice piece. We use it for a duet sometimes, or the S/B it was arranged for.
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    I never miss an opportunity to put in a plug for my English motets book. : )

    Tons of great 2-pt stuff in there . . . here's a sample:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di63LJNTE6s&feature=youtu.be

    (Lassus: Undisputed King of Bicinia)

    More samples and purchasing links here:

    https://liturgicalyear.benyanke.com/
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,075
    > > suitable for a Requiem Mass ** EF **
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    Finally, someone (someone as in Chris) suggested the Lassus set of twelve exquisite little motets.

    I must second these, the Cantiones Duarum Vocum by Orlandus Lassus.

    Fulgebunt justi and Sicut rosa are two of the more delightful ones, but
    every one of them is a unique gem.
    Some of them even exhibit clever word painting.

    Though they are conceived of as 'for two equal voices', meaning two people of the same register, they could be sung by a group who were well blended.

    Thanked by 2mmeladirectress Heath
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    We have learned Qui Sequitur Me, and are now learning Serve Bone.
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    Qui sequitur is one of those which, with its a copy-cat progression of qui sequiturs ('who follows'), is delightfully pictorial.

    Anyone not familiar with these should remedy this lacuna in his or her repertory soon.
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    My next project involves taking this wonderful collection by di Lasso and fitting each motet with a singable English translation. A sample (an AT transposition) is attached.
    Oculus non vidit-AT.pdf
    154K
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    Beautifully done, Heath!
    Very sensitive is your 'Englishing' of this, one of my most cherished Bible verses.

    I would never sing any of these in English, but still commend your well done adaptation for those for whom doing so might be needful.
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    At my choir's current level of proficiency, we tend to sing much music for 2 or 3 mixed voices and organ. Here are a few in the choral library:

    Perfice Gressus Meos.pdf
    125K
    Ecce Panis.pdf
    218K
    My eyes for beauty pine, Howells-1.pdf
    266K
    god_be_in_my_head1.pdf
    84K
    GodIsaSpiritSmart.pdf
    41K
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    Here is an imperfect 3 voice canon for the Lent II communion antiphon too
    This is My Beloved Son 2.pdf
    41K
    Thanked by 4M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen Heath BeckyD
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