Advent - After Communion hymns for simple moderately choirs
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    Can someone please suggest very easy choral pieces that will not discourage a very small choir of about 5 or 6 people.
    Make up of choir is 1 bass, 1 tenor, 2 alto, 2 sopranos.
    Experience varies.
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 891
    I've used A Choir Book for Advent edited by Paul Ladd (GIA) with my small choir. It has several pieces for the season many of which have multiple flexible versions (SA, SAT, SAB and SATB). There's also a few rounds/canons. It includes some chant, chorales, folk hymns etc. There's a book for several liturgical seasons. http://www.giamusic.com/search_details.cfm?title_id=3048
    Thanked by 1donr
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499

    Lo How a Rose:
    http://www.cantatedomino.org/cd/musicfiles/Lo how a rose - Praetorius.pdf

    Gabriel's Message: http://www.christmas-carol-music.org/SATB/AngelGabriel.html

    Ave Maria: Arcadelt: http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/3/39/Arcadelt_-_Ave_Maria.pdf

    Ave Maria: Gregorian Chant: http://www.pucpr.edu/diocesis/cantoral/AveMaGreg.pdf

    Rorate Caeli: Gregorian Chant: I could not find this for free, but if you go on the Cantica Nova Website they have little Gregorian Chant booklet that they sell for little cost and one is of Chants for Advent.
    Thanked by 1donr
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,500
    Don't forget pieces that divide nicely into male/female groups. Anything that can be sung in canon works this way, but other pieces can be sung in unison and divided easily. Gabriel's Message: alternate verses, whole choir on final verse. Mary the Dawn (Adoremus hymnal): ladies line one of every verse 1-6, men line two of every verse 1-6, whole choir on verse 7.

    Kodaly's Veni Veni Emmanuel is beautiful and accessible.
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    Thanks canadash, I actually have "The Parish Book of Chant" and it includes Rorate Caeli and Creator Alme. I will use both of these.
    I am however looking for simple choral pieces that we can use.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    Thanks Kathy
    for some reason the thanks link was disabled on your post.
    Thanked by 1Kathy
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    Oh, and People Look East... My choir loves that one. I couldn't find that one for free either.
    Thanked by 1donr
  • SamuelDorlaque
    Posts: 318
    Check the Advent category at CPDL.org. There's a wealth of very "do-able" motets for
    small choirs. It's an invaluable resource. We use it constantly.
    Thanked by 2donr CHGiffen
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    I do a lot of SATB hymnal arrangements, sans organ, with my choir, which has exactly the same makeup as yours. Check the Advent section of the English Hymnal (1906) for some great pieces, including some excellent 4-part arrangements of plainchant Advent tunes such as Conditor Alme.

    http://archive.org/details/theenglishhymnal00milfuoft

    Also, this way-past-due project I started last year, has Advent Proper Texts set to English Hymnal arrangements and Anglican Chant Psalms:

    http://propers.musicforsunday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/flexible-english-propers-advent1.pdf
    Thanked by 1donr
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    Looking through old threads, I found this:

    http://www.solovoces.com/e107_files/downloads/sv204.pdf

    The last one (Vox Clamantis) looks like it would fit my choir very very well, and I think I will do an English adaptation (which I will post here when completed).
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    Fanz Xaver Witt's "Ad Te Levavi" is a good one, and in fact is the text of the offertory chant for the first Sunday of Advent.
    Thanked by 1donr
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    comfort ye my people
    o come divine messiah

    break forth o beauteous
    http://media.musicasacra.com/books/hymns/pbeh_break_forth_o.pdf
  • holycrossbcs
    Posts: 3
    I recently found www.sjmp.com St. James Music Press. They have a wide, WIDE variety of downloadable anthems from Unison, Uni-2pt, Unison with Descant, SAB, SATB and multi divisi. I recently split my choir to allow for more growth. We can only have up to 20 people in the loft area right now due to sanctuary space limitations... so I have a Chancel Choir for anyone wanting to sing (9 singers - 3 guys and 6 ladies) and Kantorei which consists of 12 singers with interm. to advance reading ability. As a result I now have 3 new people wanting to sing in the Chancel Choir so, that will give me more than I had before. But - the numbers are not balanced in the Chancel Choir. Check them out...they have a great price and great music
    Thanked by 1Andrew Motyka
  • Andrew Motyka
    Posts: 944
    I think St. James Music Press' sales model is exemplary. If you use 3-4 pieces in a year, the subscription pays for itself.
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