SATB pieces you can sing with only SA
  • Sarah_Ori
    Posts: 10
    I feel irreverent asking this, but here I go.

    Does anyone have any SATB pieces you only sing the top two lines? As in not an SATB pieces re-arranged for treble, but SATB pieces that you only sing the S and A and they sound complete more or less?



  • Sarah_Ori
    Posts: 10
    Please don't shoot me!
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • OMagnumMysterium
    Posts: 259
    For the ones where the texture in homophonic, not polyphonic, I imagine a lot of them would work. You would just have to test it out though. Our choir has done one or two pieces like that, which I don't remember the names, and they're obscure pieces anyway. If you find a piece on CPDL, you can probably take the midi or mxl, and plug it into musescore, or whatever other music program you want to use, delete the two bottom parts, and see how it sounds. If you have particular pieces you want to do, it's definitely worth a try. Maybe someone else here can give you an actual list, but otherwise the above might be your best bet.

    There's also pieces that are just written for SA to begin with. I'm sure you could find those on CPDL too, it's an incredible resource.
    Thanked by 2Sarah_Ori tomjaw
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,798
    If I guess your circumstances correctly, you need an SA piece to which you can add TB in the future without relearning the top parts, and you have no instrument(s)?

    There's a fairly rich repertory of 3-part pieces with optional se placet 4th voices: Obrecht's Parce Domine is a famous example. You might also consider Ockeghem's Requiem, with its SA Gradual flanked by 3 & 4 part movements. Earlier repertory is often performable by cantus & tenor (not necessarily the top two) alone: Leonel Power, Pérotin, Frye.
    Thanked by 3OMagnumMysterium Sarah_Ori tomjaw
  • GerardH
    Posts: 461
    It's not exactly what you asked for, but Lassus has a bunch of 2-voice motets, some for SA. See his cpdl page.
    Thanked by 4OMagnumMysterium Sarah_Ori tomjaw mmeladirectress
  • davido
    Posts: 942
    Much of the music in the old St Gregory hymnal was marketed as SATB or SA with organ. I what looks like a St Gregory Hymnal pew book, but it is essentially an SA edition of the hymnal.
    Thanked by 2Sarah_Ori OMagnumMysterium
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,325
    --Rossini's Canticum Novum is all accompanied SA pieces
    --Heath Morber's English Motets site has a zillion a cappella 2-part pieces
    --The Oxford Book of Easy Flexible Anthems would have quite a number of pieces that would work well for your group, as it seems, though there are definitely some clunkers in there that I wouldn't recommend
    Thanked by 1Sarah_Ori
  • Sarah_Ori
    Posts: 10
    Beautiful! Thank you all.

    My situation is that have a volunteer group of somewhat-highly experienced women that come together from all parts of our large city to sing for First Saturday devotions with only one hour of rehearsal before each month. We know all of the tried-and-true SATB music from our work elsewhere, and I would like to select repertoire for our FS devotions that we all know without having to learn adapted arrangements. Trying to keep it simple, prayerful and gratifying since it's a volunteer situation and we have very little rehearsal time.

    I was feeling a little icky just using the SA parts from originally SATB (mostly-homophonic works). I'm glad to hear that it is done elsewhere. To me, many pieces can tick all the boxes, of sounding lovely and easily executed by the singer. I was looking for assurance, and your responses have been very helpful.

    I am going to begin researching all of all of the suggestions! Thank you!!
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 1,021
    No organist in your mix? Or a cellist and violist? Or bassoon?
  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 268
    This is a recording of a solo counter tenor singing Victoria’s O Magnum. He sings the soprano li e. The rest is filled in by accompaniment.

    https://youtu.be/D6sVqgJhtQg?si=Pu3pnvaIJPEUHX9I
    Thanked by 1OMagnumMysterium
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,933
    Fr. Bertalotti’s “Sacred Bicinia” is published by Cantica Nova Publications, and is two-voice. Our choir uses them frequently. Beautiful, but accessible to the average choir. Plus they’re great pedagogical resources.
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