Suggestions to improve our choir's repertoire

Jenny

Our choir sings a lot of fluff, but our DM (Deo gratias!) really wants to improve our repertoire. We are a choir of about 20 (only 7 guys, though) of widely mixed ability. A few strong singers on each part keep it afloat. We can sing the Byrd Ave Verum and the Tallis If Ye Love Me but that's about it for 'classic' pieces. The DM has asked me to look into some pieces that the choir might learn, so of course, I am coming to you all.

What would be on your 'short list' of pieces that a Catholic choir should know (classical, modern, Latin or not)? Some in the choir are resistant to this new direction, so this will be a slow go, but the DM is holding firm at present. She is going to have our associate pastor (a wonderful priest and a musician!) come to rehearsals after Easter for a series of short educational talks about music and the liturgy. I pray some eyes will be opened!

Thanks for your help and expertise.

Ally

Wow that sounds wonderful - many blessings to the DM and the associate pastor!

I would include some simple chant hymns (sung antiphonally maybe?). I do this so I can pull them out for weeks when I know we will be missing some key members (like both of our 2 tenors ha ha). These also work great for a warm-up or prayer at the beginning or end of rehearsal.

If you do the Byrd Ave Verum, why not try the Ave Verum chant to start with? They already pretty much know the words! (I used this logic on my choir last night, some of whom are also hesitant about these things, epecially Latin, and they ate it up!)

Andrew Motyka

Short list of easier motets / anthems that I think choirs should know (non-exhaustive, obviously):

Ave Maria - Arcadelt
O Sacrum Convivium - Croce
Jesu Dulcis Memoria - Vittoria
Sicut Cervus - Palestrina
God So Loved the World - Stainer

All of these are available on CPDL. Decent (published) modern things that I have used and liked include:

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Christmas) - John Bell (GIA)
I See His Blood Upon the Rose - Michael Bedford (GIA)
Hodie Christus Natus Est - William A. Grabbe / Karl P. Henning (CanticaNOVA)

For my money, if you're going to invest in newer repertoire, you can't go badly with CanticaNOVA. For older things, most of it is available on CPDL or IMSLP.

canadash

This sounds a lot like my choir. These work for us:
Durufle: Ubi Caritas
Wesley: Lead Me Lord
Tye: O Come Ye Servants of the Lord
V.Williams: O Taste and See
Arcadelt: Ave Maria (absolute must have Ave Maria other than the chant)
Besançon, arr. Malcolm Archer: People, look East
Lo How a Rose E're Blooming
Sants Saens: Tollite Hostias: http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/7/79/Ss01-6.pdf
Fuhrer: Bonum Est
http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Bonum_est,_Op._296,_No._4_(Robert_Führer)

I am so indebted to those that work at CPDL. Amazing. May God bless them!

MarkThompson

I might suggest:

Anerio - Christus Factus Est
Farrant - Lord, For Thy Tender Mercy's Sake
Gibbons - Almighty and Everlasting God
Handl (Gallus) - Ave Maria a 4 (traditionally ascribed to Victoria)
Marenzio - O Rex Gloriae
Tallis - Verily, Verily I Say Unto You
Victoria - O Quam Gloriosum

Those are all available on CPDL.

redsox1

Ave Maria-Victoria
Jesu Dulcis Memoria-Near
Regina Coeli-Aichinger
Victimae Paschali Laudes-Victoria (arr. GIA, I think Proulx, it's polychoral with brass as choir 2)
Lo How a Rose-Distler
The Eyes of All Wait upon Thee-Harris
Anima Christi and Behold the Tabernacle of God-Powell (out of print, but you might be able to find single copies from Ebay or a choral library somewhere-they are amazingly beautiful)
Teach Me, O Lord-Attwood or Byrd
Call to Remembrance-Farrant
Gaudete-1582 Piae Cantiones (arr. Batastini)
A Sound of Angels-Tye
Sicut Cervus-Palestrina
Ave Verum Corpus-Elgar
The Baptism of Christ-Hallock
God So Loved the World-Chilcott
O Sing unto the Lord a New Song-Aston
one I haven't done in years and is a bit demanding, but soooooo gorgeous is Jesu, the Very Thought of Thee-Proulx

CHGiffen

Tallis: O Lord, give thy Holy Spirit (attached)
Roselli: Adoramus te, Christe (attached)

rich_enough

I realize that you want a short list - but here's some favorites available on CPDL (in no particular order):

Dixit Maria - Hassler
O vos omnes – Victoria - an alternate to his better known setting from the Tenebrae responsories
Hoc corpus – Robledo
Call to Remembrance – Farrant
Thou Knowest, Lord – Purcell
Ave Verum - Josquin for SAT or SABar- beautiful piece - often only the first part is sung
Ave Maria – Verdonck
Diffusa est gratia - G. M. Nanino
Cantate Domino – Pitoni
Domine non sum dignus – Victoria
Exsultate Justi – Viadana - very joyful and fun to sing
Hear the Voice and Prayer -Tallis
Jesu, rex admirabilis – Palestrina - for SAT or SABar

To echo what Ally said, don't forget the chant!

JacobFlaherty

'Keep Me Faithfully' - Handel (Treble and Baritone)
'Jesu, Grant Me This I Pray' - Orlando Gibbons
'Comfort, O Lord, The Soul of Thy Servant' - William Crotch http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/2/2a/Crotch-Comfort-O_Lord.pdf

'Bow Down, Thine Ear, O Lord' - Cesar Franck
'Ave Verum Corpus' - Wolfgang A. Mozart
'Lord, We Implore Thee' - Cesar Franck
'Of a Rose, Now Let Us Sing'

noel jones, aago

Many of the anthems and motets listed above are available in one book, all in a consistent form with rehearsal accompaniments. The entire book is all music from the public domain or under Creative Commons 3.0, permitting you to freely copy and share with your choir.

It contains many English hymns, new and old, that are also available in a pew edition for the congregation.

Downloads of the entire book are free.

Due to a generous benefactor who believes as many of us do in the beauty of liturgical music, these are available for the time being at half-price if you wish to purchase bound copies, either paperback or hardcover.

Here's a link to more information

Jenny

Many thanks to you all for taking time to do this. This is an excellent list! Noel, I have just gotten your anthology and it is wonderful but a bit overwhelming at first glance. These suggestions will help me focus my efforts.

Blessed Easter to you all!

tomboysuze

Love this thread, thanks for creating it.
Since a lot of my standards are above I'll add some lovely American Folk Hymns that can be a bit easier:

1. What Wondrous Love is This? (hymn version is lovely and in most hymnals)
2. I Will Arise and Go to Jesus ( Leo Nestor's version of this in SATB is truly gorgeous, but it takes some skill to pull off)
3. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - Mack Wilberg or the Hymn Version.
4.How Can I Keep From Singing - many versions out there
5. Wayfaring Stranger - Richard Fitzgerald (but not sure if it's published yet) Mack Wilberg also has an arrangement as do many others

Other hymns:

1. O God Beyond All Praising - hymn or Holst SATB
2. O Blessed Savior - text: Omer Westendorf arr. Jerry Brubaker - this v. nice for communion as there is a singable refrain which the congregation can pick up easily - w/ soaring descant
3. Let All Mortal Flesh - mentioned above, but my favorite hymn

Anthem-type selections not mentioned above:

1. Tantem Ergo - de Severac - SATB - but I do just the SA and it works well
2. Ave Maria - Guy Forbes - SSAAA - gorgeous 'new' Ave Maria
3. Silent, Holy Night - Ken Berg - lovely, SSA arrangement - easy, lilting, lovely -here's a link to a pdf of that piece to view: http://www.tpcfassets.com/resources/partbypart/2011/pdf/CM9203_SILENT_HOLY_NIGHT.PDF
4. Notre Pere - Durufle (adore this...pls. someone do an SSAA version
just a few thoughts. best of luck

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