Tall order, small choir
  • We are a fledgling choir with some limitations and many aspirations.

    5-6 men, average age is 30. Three members have choral experience from college and since.

    We sing one Sunday per month, and are allowed to sing only in English for the time being.

    I am looking for simple Advent and Christmas suggestions for two parts to sing a capella as we have no organist.


  • Thou that art so fair and bright -- a hymn to Our Lady. The text I found in the St. Basil's Hymnal. Should be sung alternating Latin/English. (That will make more sense when you see it.)

    Next suggestion: get an organist.

    Next suggestion: use traditional Catholic hymns, set to chant melodies: Creator of the stars of night,for example. There's a lovely 2-part setting of Veni, Veni, Emmanuel -- and people probably know that tune well enough to allow you to sing the Latin.

    Thanked by 1StimsonInRehab
  • Caleferink
    Posts: 434
    5-6 men, average age is 30.


    Sounds like you have a solid foundation with which to start!

    I echo Chris' suggestion of getting an organist - perhaps there's a pianist wanting/willing to learn the organ in your choir or amongst your parishioners (that's how I got started in high school).

    In the meantime, for Advent and Christmas, an easy way to create a two-part a cappella piece is take chant melodies (again stealing Chris' ideas) and "experiment" a bit with them. If you feel capable, here's an idea off the top of my head using "Creator of the Stars of Night" as my example (there are six stanzas in my hymnal): sing stanza 1 just melody all together, have women sing stanza 2 themselves, men alone on stanza 3. For stanza 4, have the women sing the melody with the men on an "oo" or "ah" pedal-point on Do (tonic - E-flat in my hymnal's case, you could do it in whatever key is comfortable to your singers); reverse it on 5 (men sing melody, women sing "oo/ah" perhaps on Sol/dominant/B-flat this time); all sing 6 together in unison for a conclusion. It's pretty fun once you get the hang of it.

    I'm sure you could also check out CPDL and/or IMSLP with your search criteria and find something good there for free.

    Best wishes and prayers for you and your choir!
  • rogue63
    Posts: 410
    I sent you a message.
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Hey, great opportunity for a shameless plug, thanks! : )

    My "Bread from Heaven" collection has seven TB Eucharistic motets as well as a couple others that are TBB. Give it a look:

    http://www.chantcafe.com/2015/02/bread-from-heaven-new-book-of-english.html
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Is my reading correct that your choir consists of 5-6 men's voices only (and no women)?
  • You are reading that correctly, sir.

    The choir sings English chant from SEP and Ainsley for Novus Ordo Mass once a month. The purpose was to mimic a monastic sound.

    Last night at practice, one member taught us all the Dona nobis pacem round on the last page of the missal. We also practiced an ST 2 part of Lo, how a rose.

    Veni, Veni Emmanuel is another we'd like to try. Chris, do you have a link to the 2 part version you mentioned?

  • Caleferink
    Posts: 434
    Is my reading correct that your choir consists of 5-6 men's voices only (and no women)?

    You are reading that correctly, sir.


    Whoops...guess I should have found that out before making the suggestion I made.

    *sheepishly walking away from my computer now*
  • No problem at all.

    Our choir is a men's schola by design for the purpose of leading musical worship, but also as a way to collect members from across the diocese to being scholas at their own churches. The goal is to have diocesan-wide practice one night a week at the same location, then sing at our respective parishes on Sundays. Get fed, then go out and feed others. A unit multiplier of sorts.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Here is the (actually ancient) 2-part setting of Veni, veni Emmanuel (PDF).
    Thanked by 1janetgorbitz
  • Hello!

    I once directed a fledling women's choir and slowly gathered a good database of SA/SSA/SSAA music. You could transpose any of it to the bass clef.

    There are only three posts on this blog - check out the middle one with the list of equal voice pieces: https://sacredmusicfortreblevoices.wordpress.com/
  • Hilary,

    fledling


    I think you meant fledgling? Otherwise I have to look up the word "fledle".

    Cheers,

    Chris
  • Thank you Chris. It seems that iphones and autocorrect have finally ruined my ability to type coherently on a computer.