One word - Arcadelt. Seriously, the easiest polyphony comes from the early 17th century. Composers were trying to fulfill the Tridentine demand for clear polyphony and more homorhythmic textures. Some succeeded, while others just cranked out boring music. Lotti was one of the better ones and some Palestrina pieces are not difficult.

Back to my first word, though. Arcadelt's Ave Maria is one of the easiest and prettiest polyphonic pieces in the repertoire. He simply set the antiphon like a 1520s madrigal.

You will need to look through the published literature for transposed works if you want to use women on the alto parts. Most polyphony was set for male altos, so it sits rather low.

moconnor

And where would one use Arcadelt's lovely Ave Maria?

My suggestion (and I have no experience with directing polyphony, so this is conjecture) is organum. Once that's learned, perhaps faux bordon and then some chorales like Bach or Tallis. From there, Josquin is a good start.

moconnor (Mark?)

I confess to assuming "use" as the immediate goal too frequently.

The bass line of Arcadelt's piece might be too difficult for starters. All the lines of Palestrina's "O Bone Jesu" are more predominantly step-wise. I'd be inclined to start with that one myself.

1. But if we back up in skill level even more, to "starting from scratch," I'm wondering whether it isn't a better idea to have the choir sing homophonic four-part cadences together, with very smooth voice leading. Get them used to hearing themselves singing different notes at the same time, and work on tuning them. Then you could do simple Anglican-type chant, such that the choir could provide harmonized psalm verses to whoever sings antiphons. Arcadelt's piece is kind of close to this. Every voice is just about singing the same rhythmic values.

2. Then you start moving away from homophony into polyphony with something like Palestrina's "O Bone." There, the SAT get to ornament the melody by turns, so they'll become comfortable "lifting away" as it were from what everyone else is singing. Rhythm values start to differ.

3. Then the job could be to start shifting entrances around, so the choir gets comfortable singing independent but cohesive lines. This is the moment of real emancipation: when sections have to count precisely and "hear" their entrance pitch internally, so their entrances are on pitch, and on time. It takes some confidence to get to this point. Hilton's "Lord for thy tender" is a wonderful introduction to this feeling because initially, the new entrance is made by tenors and basses together. (There is safety in numbers!) It also builds so lushly, the choir will love singing it. And it's in English!

4. Once they can do "Lord for they tender," then the choir might develop the confidence to tackle full voice independence, or something like Tallis's "If ye love me." There, sections have to really pay attention to their entrances and pretty much gain control of polyphonic singing in general.

Peter Phillips's article on leading polyphonic groups in Sacred Music a few issues back was really magnificent. He advocates a string-quartet kind of approach, where the director really works on steering instead of conducting things. Sections have to listen to each other, weave the music together in real time, and not rely on a top-down conductor to "get them through it without falling apart." I like that approach. I want confident, independent singers. Independent singers are much more likely to listen to each other, and the result is the kind of cohesive but clear, flexible singing we're all after.

So, in order: 1) exercises and Anglican chant, 2) Arcadelt, 3) Palestrina's O Bone Jesu, 4) Hilton, 5) Tallis. Sound reasonable?

The problem with organum (unless you are just improvising parallel organum) is the length and difficutly. Most organum is of florid type and needs a few really good singers to cover the organalis line. Discant is a little easier, and some 2-part conductus is not very hard. BTW the Thompson setting of the Exsultet (WLP) creates a wonderful neo-organum sound in the choir while the cantors sing the plainchant melodies. There are some nice triads to add flavor too. I've used this for several years and it still impresses.

To answer Pes, well yes, what you say makes great sense. I guess I was assuming a little higher singing level where folks were already used to independent moments in choral settings.

BTW I don't think the Arcadelt bass is as difficult as you suggest. My small-town choir basses were able to do it quite well after a couple of rehearsals. It proceeds very intuitively.

I would have to ask you then where you would sing the English music?

moconnor

The Lassus 2-part polyphony is available from a website for free, in .pdf format, and amazingly, rendered in part-book format.

Go to the CPDL, under Lassus look for "Oculus non vidit." You will see that there is a part-book version for download. The link takes you to the site for the whole book, which includes other composers as well.

At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, may I suggest that pieces like Palestrina's "O Bone Jesu" and "Adoramus Te" are not the best choices for a beginning choir? The lines are quite drawn out, which means that breathing can be difficult, which means that *tuning* can be problematic. It is also difficult to keep the pace going which can result in a dirge. At least this is what I hear when inexperienced choirs sing it.

I find that anthems and motets more in the style of hymns (Tallis' "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" as suggested by Jeffrey above and his other "tunes" are excellent) and shorter motets with more motion in the voices - such as Croce's "Voce Mea" - are actually less exacting and more rewarding to sing. The latter may seem more difficult since they have "more notes" - but they are actually less taxing on the choir.

Pes,

You can call me Sam since I forgot to sign my name at the end of the last comment.

Thanks for your comment. A thread on vocal technique - especially as it applies to polyphony (use of "straight" tone, etc) is not a bad idea. Suffice to say that my time in a choir which really emphasized breathing - almost to an extreme - was time very well spent and I attribute to it any success in choral singing I've had since then. And most of the issues I see in singers with whom I sing can be attributed to incorrect or labored breathing (pitch, fatigue, etc.), even though they are excellent in other areas such as rhythm and reading. They can tell that they're out of tune but it seems they don't know or are unwilling to do (a large part of) what it takes to correct it.

Sam Schmitt

The Tallis THIRD MODE MELODY that you are using for "I Heard the Voice," we use with a metric paraphrase of the 42nd psalm, Send Forth Thy Light. (Can't recall off hand if it is Scottish, or Brady and Tate, or what.)
It was not a tune in our choir's repertoire, and I wanted to add it. I thought an English version of the old Introibo might find favor with some of our older choirmembers, as an all-purpose prelude, and I was right.
Any idea what text was usually associated with the melody befor the Bonar text?
Or was it just a multi-purpose psalm tune?

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)

Jeffrey -- I, too, appreciate the list. (I've just downloaded them and put them in a folder entitled "tucker's top ten.")
But, just as you've written before that music for Mass is *not* "insert hymn of your choice here," it shouldn't be "insert polyphony of your choice here," either, right? Or are there particular part(s) of the Mass (like Offertory, or after Communion, or right before Mass) where it would be appropriate to sing any one of those selections (after due consideration of the text)?

Very good, Gavin. Thanks for the reply. That's probably the best (i.e., the most new-schola-friendly) answer I could've asked for.

For full disclosure, I should add that I don't like Jeff's idea of "adding" pieces to the places in the Mass. I look at it as when I do a hymn at Entrance, for the purposes of that liturgy, that IS the Introit. Offertory hymn IS the Offertory. Communion psalm IS the Communion. In the past I have done 2 pieces at Communion, and it always feels like one of the pieces is "extra". Whether the chant or the psalm. And the GIRM doesn't say "option 1 and/or option 2 and/or option 3 and/or option 4".

I also don't like the choral prelude on the pragmatic grounds that people won't hear it. But all the above is my own judgments, and I certainly wouldn't give someone trouble for filling a spot in the liturgy with two pieces! Unless that person were Jeff, of course :P

Though, you could have a two birds/one stone situation if the motet you sing IS the text of the Offertory, right? And in those situations, would it be okay for the organist to improvise on the motet melody/tonality following the motet itself, prior to the preface of the Eucharistic Prayer? (Honestly, I guess this would be "filler music," though I hate to admit it as such....)

I have a performance practice question about one of the pieces Jeffrey mentioned, which can be moved elsewhere, if necessary.

In "O Esca Viatorum", in measures 18 and 22 (Soprano), there is a figure of a quarter note A followed by an eighth note A, and then an eighth note G followed by a half note G. In neither case are ties indicated between the notes. My question is: how are these performed? Is this just a case of ties not being written, or are the notes to be repeated?

May I suggest... a simple round such as "Jubilate Deo" (Praetorius) that becomes part of your warm-up routine or perhaps a song that closes rehearsal each week? It never needs to be used in the liturgy, but it will get your choir used to singing polyphony. You can also try using a polyphonic verse for a well known hymn tune (such as the Goudimel harmonization of OLD HUNDREDTH or other tunes from the Genevan Psalter). This is much shorter than a whole motet, plus it invites congregational participation on alternate verses. When it's time to tackle unaccompanied polyphony, there are some excellent 3-part pieces by Byrd, Willaert, Palestrina, Desprez, et al. These might be helpful if you have a small group. The Chester Motet series has volumes for 3-parts, and you can also browse by voice parts on CPDL. Alternatim is another good trick. This weekend we're doing Praetorius "Conditor alme siderum" (GIA edition) alternating chant and polyphony (the people could sing here, too, in Latin or English if they know the tune). And each verse is the same! Easy schmeezy. And for those who say, well it's not the offertory proper... I say this is a parish where the norm had been to sing "A voice cries out" or "Come to set us free." There's no rule against using quality chant or polyphony at an "option 4" parish.

In all polyphony, if the notes are on a single syllable, slur them. If you get consecutive same pitches use a glottal re-attack (usually a short note to a long note).

moconnor

Regina Caeli! that piece is fun! I mean, it is a bit ridiculous but fun. Good Easter material.

Here are some other beginning (or not so beginning) pieces I've found effective. Most are available on CPDL.org

Soriano: Ave Regina Caelorum
Palestrina: Tua Jesu Dilectio (SABar)
Tye: Laudate Nomen Domini
15th cent. anonymous: Verbum Caro Factum Est (GIA)
Farrant: Call to Remembrance
Farrant: Hide Not Thou Thy Face
Victoria: Jesu Dulcis Memoria
Clemens non papa; Benedicite Domino (SAB)
any of the Tallis' "Tunes for Archbishop's Parker's Psalter"

Charles,

Where does one find the Gounod Seven Last Words? I've only seen the few that are "adapted" and included in the St. Gregory Hymnal.

Yes, but they are incomplete. Some of the settings are arrangements from DuBois. I've been looking for the original Gounod for some time, but cannot find it even in the library.

I think a lot of the suggestions, while excellent motets, would at least be classified as "moderately difficult".. What about Christopher Tye's Rorate Caeli, for instance? It alternates between homophonic and polyphonic passages, introducing concepts like imitative entrances, which might be new ground for choirs that have only sung hymns. Then there's Attwood's Teach me, O Lord. Again, the basic texture is homophonic, but with occasional opportunities for some simple imitative singing. I like both of these selections because they offer frequent opportunities for choirs to "touch base" and re-tune after polyphonic episodes.

You could also use those duets by Lassus, which he intended as teaching pieces. They're available in a modern edition, I believe.

I have not heard Gounod's Sieben Worte, but I have Franck's, and it was most moving as I was transported to the throne of Fod when hearing it dozens of times. Why not look at it for liturgical performance for Lent? And Gounod too? I no nothing about its performance other than that there is an old long playing record recorded on the Audite label. What do you think fine and moving liturgical piece?

Thanks for that. Actually the version in the St. Gregory Hymnal consists of extracts from the larger piece, and not even for each Word. Some are by DuBois, and all are heavily edited by N.A.M. But I did finally track down the full Gounod in a small music shop, and it's lovely. I think worthy of being done more often. Requires a choir with a solo quartet.

To revive this excellent topic... I have a small schola (8) of men only. To date we've just done simple chant with no accompaniment (my skill in this area is insufficient).

Are there some good very simple polyphony pieces for just male voices? Thanks in advance for any pointers.

Carl