Advent and Christmas

Adam Wood

Starting my first schola soon.
First of all:
Any suggestions (general or specific) about that would be great (rehearsal procedure, warm-up routines, conducting tips, etc, etc- especially in how it is different than a "normal" choir). Books to read and videos to watch would be a great help.

Way more importantly...

My plan is for the schola to debut at Mass in Advent... so-
Suggestions on (reasonably easy to intermediate) literature for Advent and Christmas?

The group will most likely be mixed- but we'll do some male-only and female-only material.
I'm particularly interested in polyphonic settings of the Propers, music available for free online (we have no budget), and music I can easily find a recording of (since my lack of experience will require some leaning on another's interpretation). I'm hoping to do both Latin and English. Also, as I'm working at an Anglican parish, I have a preference for material from that tradition (although that is certainly not a requirement).

So.... help?!

Charles in CenCA

Adam, regarding polyphonic Propers, go to Aristotle Esguerra's blog, The Recovering Choir Director. He has an index link to CPDL, with the various liturgical categories already assigned; ie. Introits, Graduals, Offertorios, etc.
But, with all things CPDL, thoroughly review each edition.
Also, if your choral voicing capability doesn't extend beyond SATB, go to CPDL directly and search with the proper title. You might find a new/older version that you can manage with your "forces." For example, the Byrd Propers for this festal weekend are seemingly all ATTBB. But I found a lovely little Communio by Aichinger that can be mastered in one rehearsal without breaking a sweat.

rich_enough

Be aware that a good number of the polyphonic propers on the RCD list Charles refers to are not that easy and /or ask for 5 or more voices (particularly pieces by Byrd). Here are some easier Advent and Christmas motets which can be found on CPDL:

ADVENT
Alma Redemptoris Mater (SATB) – Palestrina - multiple editions on CPDL

Alma Redemptoris Mater – attr. Juan Garcia de Salazar
http://www.solovoces.com/e107_files/downloads/part_sv158.pdf

Ave Maria – Verdonck
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/verk-ave.pdf

Ave Maria - Victoria - multiple editions on CPDL

Ave Maria - Monteverdi (SAT)
http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/mont-ave.pdf

Cum audisset Ioannes – Diego de las Muelas
http://www.solovoces.com/e107_files/downloads/sv204.pdf

Dixit Maria - Hassler - multiple edition on CPDL

Ecce concipies – Handl/Gallus
http://choralwiki.net/wiki/images/sheet/handl/gall-ecc.pdf

Erunt signa in sole – Diego de las Muelas
http://www.solovoces.com/e107_files/downloads/sv204.pdf

Ipse est qui post me – Cardoso
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/card-ips.pdf

Rorate Caeli – Tye (attached)

Vox clamantis in deserto – Diego de las Muelas
http://www.solovoces.com/e107_files/downloads/sv204.pdf

Hail, Blessed Virgin Mary - Italian carol, arr. Charles Wood
http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/d/d3/Wood_hail_blessed_virgin_mary.pdf

CHRISTMAS
Christus Natus est nobis – anonymous Spanish
http://www.solovoces.com/e107_files/downloads/part_sv096.pdf

En natus est Emmanuel – Praetorius
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/pra-enna.pdf

Hodie Christus Natus Est – G. P. Cima
http://www.cipoo.net/downloads/scores/HodieChristusNatusEst.pdf

Hodie Christus Natus Est – Marenzio
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/mare-hod.pdf

Hodie Christus Natus Est – G. M. Nanino
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/nangm-ho.pdf

In natali Domini – Praetorius
http://www.icking-music-archive.org/scores/praetorius/musaesioniae/innatali.pdf

Magnum nomen Domini – Praetorius
http://www.kantoreiarchiv.de/archiv/a_cappella/motets/praetorius/magnum_nomen/magnum.pdf

Natus est nobis – Handl / Gallus
http://choralwiki.net/wiki/images/sheet/handl/gall-na2.pdf

Parvulus nobis nascitur – Praetorius
http://www.icking-music-archive.org/scores/praetorius/musaesioniae/parvulus.pdf

Puer natus est (SAB) – Morales - multiple editions on CPDL

Puer natus in Bethlehem – Praetorius
http://www.cipoo.net/downloads/scores/PuerNatusPraetorius.pdf

Puer nobis nascitur – Praetorius
http://www.icking-music-archive.org/scores/praetorius/musaesioniae/puernobis.pdf

Regem natum – Handl / Gallus
http://choralwiki.net/wiki/images/sheet/handl/gall-reg.pdf

Resonet in laudibus – Handl
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/handl/gall-re2.pdf

You can also find some good ideas here: the contents of Oxford University Press's "Advent for Choirs" collection keyed to free scores on CPDL:
http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Advent_for_Choirs

rich_enough

Sorry, I am not able to attach the Rorate Caeli - Tye

Antrobus

Thirteen years ago I was in the same position. Firstly if you are in the UK join "Sing for Pleasure", a wonderful organisation that runs courses for conductors, starting at elementary and ending at orchestral. Many of the members are church choir conductors, community choir conductors and music teachers. There is an annual summer school over eight days and two or three weekend courses. Very usefully there are courses run over five Saturdays at monthly intervals in several parts of the country.
Gregorian chant can be very useful eg Rorate Coeli in Advent, Attende Domine in Lent, Ubi Caritas on Maudy Thursday. We sing the plainsong Ubi Caritas and follow it with the beauriful Durufle version. The chant can be found in the Liber Usualis, published by Solesmes Abbey. It is on the internet as a pdf file.
If you have a good soprano look at "Iste Confessor by A.Scarlatti (not D!) Easy and beautiful.

Antrobus

Whoops!
I suspect you are in the US.
However the links are www.sanctamissa.org/en/music/gregrian-chant
www.singforpleasure.org.uk

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