Xmas piece for SSA, strings-suggestions welcome!
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Friends, I'm looking for a Xmas piece...with some unique parameters.

    My traditional choir this year has few men, all of whom play instruments, and many awesome ladies, few of whom play anything. :)

    Anyway, I'm looking for a Christmas piece with these specifications:

    --SSA(A)
    --string quartet/quintet (got a double bass, too!)
    --obbligato instrument
    --"Traditional" setting (organ is a possibility, but piano would not be)

    Any pieces come to mind? Thanks!
  • Schönbergian
    Posts: 1,063
    Take a look at Carols for Choirs 4.
    Thanked by 2regissør Heath
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Ceremony of Carols of Benjamin Britten.

    In Nativitatem of Marc Antoine Charpentier

    Neither work is only SSA, but both are good works.
    Thanked by 2regissør Heath
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    I have a setting of o holy night that I made for strings choir and piano
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,815
    From Virgin's womb is the obvious choice, albeit one without an "obligato instrument". If that is one of oboe or trumpet and there's organ to fill in the other, you could consider Vivaldi's Gloria a l'ospedale with 4' tenors & basses.

    Btw, Charpentier has 4 In nativitatem works: H 314 (SATB, 2 recorders & 2 violins), H 414 (str, 2 rec SATB), H 416 (5vv, 2 vln), and H 421 (SSA & bc). Britten indeed has many strings, all of them played by a single harpist. Edit: I see I missed Canticum in nativitatem Dom. H 393, (SAB, 2 vln) indexed by Cessac under "C" instead of "I".
    Thanked by 2regissør Heath
  • JL
    Posts: 171
    Any language requirements?
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Not really...Latin or English is best.
  • MarkS
    Posts: 282
    I made a simple setting of 'Dost thou in a manger lay' for 2 violins, harp, and choir SAB that could easily fiddled with to meet your specs (lower strings pizz-ing out the harp part etc..) if it's of interest. Here's the Finale-generated MP3 with randomly assigned sounds for voices and instruments, but you get the idea.
    Dost_thou_in_a_manger_lay.mp3
    3M
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,103
    depending on your alto voices, Herbeck's "Pueri Concinite" (SABar + S solo) might suit.

    At least one arrangement (with organ, not strings) can be found on CPDL.
    But since most of its recordings feature strings, not organ, there must be arrangements out there. It's lovely.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Heath
  • MarkS
    Posts: 282
    Suscepit Israel from the Bach Magnificat is SSA with oboe obbligato and continuo; a chordal string accompaniment could easily be added to the continuo part. Not the most 'Christmassy' text, but...
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Heath
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    Well, the Bach Mag does have a Christmas connection, inasmuch as it's sometimes performed with the interpellated movements JSB added, settings of "Freut euch und jubiliert" and other hymns.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Heath
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