I am putting together an Advent Lessons & Carols program and looking for accessible 2-part motets and carol arrangements for my youth choir. Last year, we did carols straight out of the hymnal, but having grown in numbers and skill, the kids are ready for a challenge. Please share your favorites! English or Latin, accompanied or a cappella.
"Mary walks amid the thorn" can be easily arranged for SA. Here is a very straightforward example from CPDL; I would choose a different ending, though, because to my ears a sixth is not "ending able", but YMMV. A metric English translation (if it is not already in your hymn book) can be found on Wikipedia.
There is also a sacred contrafactum to "Une jeune fillette" (AKA "La Monica"): "Ye sons of men, in earnest prepare your hearts". The original song was the greatest hit in the 16/17th century, and it is still appealing today. The contrafactum is unrelated to the sad original text, of course, but refers to Advent as a time of preparation for the coming Saviour. You can easily add a second voice to the melody and the second part even invites some imitation in the fourth.
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