Choral Repertoire-Whose Stuff Makes the Cut and Why?
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Someone’s list of GREAT American choral composers is found here
    If you were to open the contents of this article’s featured choral albums you’d easily find the Who’s Who of American composers whose works, secular or sacred are more prominently heard in concert halls and ACDA events than on Saturday or Sunday services at worship. Given that it’s apparently very difficult to “talk” about composers, compositions and musicology in our forum setting, I’ve often wondered about living and working composers who either are considered “second tier” composers, pretenders to greatness, or just great crafts people.
    It really isn’t unusual in “closed quarters” conversations at conventions or in academia for critical discourse about these three issues above to get contentious quite beyond heated. Derision, calumny and abject dismissal (like “Talk to the hand!”) are par for those courses. Just mention “John Rutter” to 20 choral directors and watch the rockets fly.
    But we are supposed to live, move and have our being in different surroundings. I don’t need to list those here. But here is my concern about what we do and how we do it. Are we talking out of turn when we mention that we can’t manage to do the double choir Hassler at Christmas, so we “settled” for Hal Hopson. Is Rene Clausen in the same league as James MacMillan or Colin Mawbry? Is John Leavitt’s catalogue worth a look for Easter? Who are these folks whose works are briskly sold at JWPepper: Craig Courtney, Dan Gawthrop, Stephen Paulus, Randy Stroope, Patrick Liebergen, John Coates, Eugene Butler, Natalie Sleeth, Jane Marshall, Libby Larsen, and so on and on? Who is Joseph Martin and how many cantatas does he write per year? If Mack Wilburg has a “Magnificat,” and you like it, should you not do it because he’s an LDS? Or is all their stuff only to be found at ACDA/CMEA/Chorister Guild festivals for students, and not worthy of sacred service? What think ye?
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    Our church's repertoire is here. I only consider the following (in alphabetical order):

    — Availability of support materials (MIDIs, MP3s, YouTubes, etc.)
    — Personal familiarity
    — Price (music library purchases are the result of donations)
    — Scriptural sources
    — Stylistic propriety for liturgy (Gregorian chant/polyphony, etc.)
    — Vocal range/rhythmic accessibility

    As one who is not subscribed to the above catalogs, most of the aforementioned composers aren't on my radar. The current living composers in our standing repertoire (Dalitz, Giffen, Jones, Rice, Stephens) are those who have put at least some of their works into the Commons.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • SamuelDorlaque
    Posts: 318
    I think that there are some very talented composers listed in that article. Many write for churches whose musical needs are not the same as ours. However, some of the music, which is scripturally based could be used quite effectively, if the choir is up to it. There are several, including Pinkham and Ned Rorem, who have written on commission for certain Episcopal churches, whose works need greater exposure. I think also of some not included in the article who are writing incredible new serious music for the liturgy-
    Frank La Rocca, Peter Hallock, Gerald Near, Leo Nestor, Peter Latona, Phillip Stopford and
    the lists goes on. However, these are highly trained, very skilled composers, who know what sound they want and expect that the singers will produce it. So, you will hear these composers in major parishes and cathedrals who have the resources to sing their music.
    I remember a friend a few years ago, who, in talking about the great value of CPDL, said.
    "I'm getting too old to have to rewrite music, so that it would even pass a freshman theory class. I'll count on CPDL and spend my money on music of living composers who have actually studied composition and have something worthy to offer." This is not to say that these composers don't write music that the average parish choir can sing well.
    There are very useable pieces from the truly gifted composers that are accessible to the average choir. I believe it is worth the extra time and effort to learn them, if you can. I keep thinking of the motto of the RSCM: "I will sing with the Spirit and with an under-
    standing." Our music is an offering and, as such, should be the very best of which we're capable.
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