Christmas concert piece for large choir?
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Friends, I've had an incredible influx of talented singers and instrumentalists this semester...I'm ecstatic, of course, and tremendously excited to challenge this group.

    I'm starting to discern pieces for our Christmas concert and I'd love your suggestions for a piece or two that fit the following parameters:

    -Voicing: 5-8 parts
    -Instrumentation: a cappella or instruments
    -Language: English or Latin, maybe German
    -Length: 2-5 minutes
    -Genre: definitely in a classical vein...this is my traditional choir

    ...and it needs to be sacred, but not necessarily liturgical.

    I appreciate you sharing anything that comes to mind!
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,092
    Well, it's just over 40 minutes a cappella if one did the whole thing, so probably not ideal fof lack of instruments, but if you have excellent choristers, you can explore using movements from this 1933 chorale partita by Hugo Distler as pivots over the course of your program

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Weihnachtsgeschichte

    Example of the chorale movements with a small group (gets more luscious with a larger ensemble): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJHj3cWHEfw

    Score for purchase: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/es-ist-ein-ros-entsprungen-op-10-1933-sheet-music/2405754?d=sem_ggl_Product_DSAs
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • Marc Cerisier
    Posts: 537
    The attached is a new(-ish... time flies) edition of the Vaughan-Williams Christmas Fantasia (also available on IMSLP. Has an actually playable organ part that is a newly written, idiomatic organ reduction of the orchestration. It's still compatible with the orchestral parts, though, which can supplement the organ reduction.
    IMSLP759261-PMLP54174-Fantasia_on_Christmas_Carols_-_ed._Cerisier.pdf
    432K
    Thanked by 5ServiamScores Paul F. Ford tomjaw cesarfranck Heath
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,886
    You could consider a movement from Saint Saens’ Christmas oratorio.
    Thanked by 2cesarfranck Heath
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    You might give my "Creator of the stars of night"/"Conditor alme siderum" a look-listen ... it's been very well received and often sung.

    Creator of the Stars of Night (Giffen)
    St. Benedict Parish Choir
    Alicia Brozovich, Conductor

    width="640" height="360">

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

    The attached file is up a whole step from the performance, as the higher key fits most choirs better (the lower key version is at CPDL).
    Giffen-Creator of the stars of night-high.pdf
    117K
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  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Since most "Christmas concerts" are really Advent-Christmas concerts (often a week or more before Christmas), it seems appropriate to consider Advent music, too.

    My setting of three stanzas of Christina Rosetti's "This Advent Moon" for SATB (with some divisi) has been programmed quite a bit.

    Giffen-This_Advent_moon.pdf
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    This Advent Moon-KS.mp3
    5M
    Thanked by 3cesarfranck Heath Chrism
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 708
    One of the Christmas favorites among the many we sang at St. Mary's in Akron, Ohio was "With Glory Lit the Midnight Air Revealed" it's a very old Christmas anthem and first appeared in the Laudis Corona hymn book of 1880. This is wonderful piece to add to a Christmas program before Mass which is what we did at St. Mary's. There were others that we did for example "O Babe Divine" which is to an Italian carol; "In Old Judea," which is really a classic in its own right; and also "And There Were Shepherds," this is about the story of Christmas with a first and second choir parts. If you're interested in any of these or many of the others we sang pm me and I can provide you a list of our Christmas choir repretoire and copies.
    With Glory Lit The Midnight Air Revealed.pdf
    191K
    Thanked by 2cesarfranck Heath
  • CGM
    Posts: 697
    Benjamin Britten's A Boy Was Born, for SSAATTBB chorus + children's choir on select movements, is an astonishingly amazing suite of a cappella Christmas music. (The opening movement is in the Oxford Carols for Choirs I.)
    Thanked by 2cesarfranck Heath
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,232
    Pinkham's Christmas Cantata. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPmwJfka918 and Roger Wagner also recorded it (up-tempo and it works better).

    Thanked by 1MarkS
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,798
    One or two 2-5 minute pieces for a 'Christmas concert' about which you've not yet shared your discernment of other pieces or any other context? Let me remember where I left my thinking cap…
    Thanked by 1cesarfranck
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Richard, sounds like this isn't the thread for you! Peace to you.
    Thanked by 3irishtenor ServiamScores cesarfranck
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Friends, a lot of great suggestions in this thread, thank you!
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    I almost forgot the Introit for the 4th Sunday of Advent "Drop down dew from above"/"Rorate caeli desuper" ... which I set in both English and Latin (scores attached).

    Here is the premier performance of the English version: https://youtu.be/6B3TosHSQ38

    Giffen-Drop down dew from above-Phipps edition.pdf
    144K
    Giffen-Rorate caeli desuper.pdf
    142K
    Giffen-Rorate caeli desuper.mp3
    4M
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • PhinneasPublick
    Posts: 18
    Britten's Hymn to the Virgin is a good sing, and has a great story behind its composition. Also Tavener's motet Today the Virgin can be executed with a lot of flourish. I second the Pinkham suggestion, or something from l'Enfance du Christ. The final chorus (with 5 soloists) from Saint-Saens Oratorio de Noel can be very effective, but may not have the same effect without the entire piece prior....although even as a person with a soft spot for it, it could be a lugubrious listen for the audience.
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • CGM
    Posts: 697
    Oh, yes — Tavener! His "God is with us" is about as spectacular as spectacular gets.
    (Make sure to watch it to the end!)
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 268
    Although they are on the shorter side, I would suggest Bassano, Hodie Christus Est:

    https://youtu.be/R_92sfDMfLg?si=P5iAL8hqXhJ1KJsB

    I also like the Sweelinck setting:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQF7mW2c1c
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,483
    Hard to beat Vivaldi's Gloria
    Thanked by 1Heath
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 326
    Praetorius In Dulci Jubilo. Could do it with either double choir or instruments/organ taking one of the choirs like so: https://youtu.be/BXMLzPlw8pM?si=RA6llj2a9JLiNfIq&t=58
    Thanked by 1Heath
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