Resources for Easy, English Choral Music?
  • ajglotz
    Posts: 9
    Hello all,

    My parish choir lives in a place I am sure many other people are familiar with: not currently skilled enough to sing anything remotely close to polyphany, yet incredibly confident and proficient in all the kitchy show-tune-esque repertoire they've sung for 30 years (that I am slowly and inconspicuously "filing away" to the back dumpster). While I know to simply throw them into the deep end with Palestrina and watch them quickly drown would be a mistake, if I have to conduct one more piece with the predictable 8-bar piano entrance and rock-ballade key change halfway through the song... anathema sim!

    In my discernment, I see the way forward to be simple, English choral music: legitimately beautiful like polyphany, but accessible like their show-tunes. A via media! I've taken up this task myself as a composer, but I'm hardly able to write at a pace required for the amount of repertoire we need. Does anyone have recommendations of resources for easy, beautiful, English choral music? Either specific motets or pointers towards databases or catalogues are both appreciated!

    I see a great need in the Church today for choral music that bridges the gap between where many parish choirs are and where we want to take them. My goal is to build my choir's confidence by singing things that lie just on the edge of what they're capable of while also offering fitting worship to God and worthy edification to the congregation--something that I just don't see happening with our current selection of OCP octavos.

    Any recommendations are appreciated!
  • emac3183
    Posts: 106
    Healey Willan is a great place to start: we sang his "Come Unto Me" from 12 Sayings of Jesus, which are unison works. That particular one is on CPDL. If the choir can't sing unison, they aren't going to ever be able to sing polyphony.

    Don't discount 2/3/4 voice works by Perosi--they aren't often "great works," but they are simple and beautiful. You can find them in the 12 books of Melodiae Sacrae. https://imslp.org/wiki/Melodie_sacre_(Perosi%2C_Lorenzo) They are often written simply enough for choirs to get them even if they aren't super familiar with Latin.

    Sometimes hymns can be sung as "anthems": I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IfkCG0328E. Homophonic rhythm is a beginning choir's friend.

    I have a plethora of English pieces in my library, many of which are from the Anglican tradition, but I need to peruse them further before I recommend them.
    Thanked by 2ajglotz probe
  • ajglotz
    Posts: 9
    I did find that a good chunk of the music I want to keep from the parish's library was Healey Willan, so it's good to hear I'm on the right track with him. I'll look into Perosi too!

    Anthemized hymns certainly make up the majority of what I'm keeping in the library. The only downside is that I don't want to use them for a post-communion meditation, which is 95% of the choral music we do.
  • probe
    Posts: 227
    Also see links at https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/comment/270568
    Thanked by 1ajglotz
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,454
    Take a look at The Oxford Book of Easy Flexible Anthems. Not everything there is terrific, but there are quite a few pieces that are decent and would move you in the direction of tradition. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-book-of-easy-flexible-anthems-9780193413252?cc=us&lang=en&;
    Thanked by 1StimsonInRehab
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 343
    In no particular order, some chestnuts
    Humbly I Adore Thee_Liam McDonough.pdf
    51K
    Bow Down Thine Ear SATB Wood.pdf
    83K
    Rejoice in the Lord SATB Weelkes.pdf
    218K
    View Me Lord SATB Lloyd.pdf
    578K
    Deliver Us - O Praise the Lord SATB Batten .pdf
    6M
    O Lord Give Thy Holy Spirit SATB Tallis.pdf
    86B
    Treasures in Heaven SATB Clokey.pdf
    895K
    IMSLP359748-PMLP581037-Candlyn_Thee_We_Adore_240808_075642.pdf
    3M
    O Sacred Feast Willan SATB a capella.pdf
    332K
    Pray that Jerusalem SATB Stanford.pdf
    59K
    Attende Domine SATB McDonough.pdf
    57K
    Lift Up Your Heads SAB Dalitz.pdf
    36K
    Thanked by 1Roborgelmeister
  • davido
    Posts: 1,238
    Veni Emmanuel - Zoltan Kodaly (octavo has optional English)
    Attende domine/hear us almighty Lord - Rob Glover
    If ye love me - Philip Wilby
    Alleluia Canon - Boyce
    some anthems of Hal Hopson are great. The Gift of Love. There is a series for 2 part choir arranging tunes from the Classical Masters. “Lord you have searched me” is one.
    Up to the hills - Normand Gouin

    People usually respond well to famous classical pieces:
    Jesu joy of man’s desiring - Bach
    Ave verum - Mozart
    Ave Maria - Gounod or Schubert, there are choral arrangements of both
    Thanked by 1Roborgelmeister
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