All my recent works are written to be sung in just intonation, even when, as this piece, they are accompanied by an equal tempered instrument.

Um.....
How?

As a piece of schmaltzy, semi-secular, no-liturgical choral music.... I really like it. It reminds me of movie choirs from the 20s-40s.

Also, I having listened to it, I get the issue with just intonation (the WHY)- it gives it a "barbershop" old-timey feel it wouldn't otherwise have.

I have some other thoughts and questions....

1 - question
Would you think an electric piano, capable of playing in just temperament, would be a better accompaniment? Or do you specifically appreciate the contrast?

2 - thought and question
I have a hard time reconciling your description of this music as "easy," considering the tuning issues involved. Have you done this with real singers? Do you have much experience at all with amateur (non-barbershop-oriented) choirs?

3 - thought
This music is not appropriate to Sacred Liturgy. My opinion.

4 -question
The voices on the recording are clearly synthesized, but they also are singing the words (and not "synth ahhhs"). How did you do that?

Hello, Adam,

I will reply somewhat out of order, as I agree or disagree with you:

3. can't argue, use as you would Silent Night

4. I have a variety of vocal samples that give vowel and consonant sounds, and have gotten somewhat skilled at applying them; the ones I use most are the oldest, targeted commercially at film score composers.

1. Very important: this is not "Just temperament", because the tuning changes as the harmony changes. Even in a single tonal center, there are at least two distinct tunings of the second scale step. In more complicated tonal material, there are many different tunings. I began this thinking long ago, as a student at the Eastman School of Music and its official harpsichord tuner, when for one semester my job was to tune the main harpsichord of the organ department to a different historical temperament each week, and post (with an index card on the instrument) data on the tuning used.

2. "easy": it's new so never sung; but I sing a great deal, and feel that the intonation is in fact quite natural; it would not need discussion with the target user, a children's choir. The various non-harmonic accidentals might raise it above "easy" but surely not more than "medium-easy". I hope so, at least.

0. and also to the Choirbook: it is not at all barbershop, a genre I have very little experience with, and one from my limited acquaintance where the occasional real beauties are outweighed (imo) by the frequent, say, less-than-beauties.

I could see that piece for a Christmas concert. Not being a pianist, I have mixed feelings about the accompaniment. I think it is too busy and detracts - maybe distracts would be a better word - from the voices, but that is just me.

I (perhaps more restrictive than Adam) did not find it at all inappropriate, and wouldn't mind using it. Though I should like to perform it much more slowly, and perhaps without accompaniment.

And, having limited, though some, experience in barbershop, think that is quite a miscategorization of the piece.

I said

it gives it a "barbershop" old-timey feel

I also said

schmaltzy, semi-secular...reminds me of movie choirs from the 20s-40s

So... if Gavin disagrees with me that it has that feeling, it might be mere splitting hairs that I didn't explicitly say "It IS barbershop." I just found it to be barbershopish.

I consider these to be compliments, actually- they are precisely what I LIKE about the piece. But they are also what I find makes them inappropriate for liturgy (in my opinion).

But Gavin disagrees with me on that, and (I agree) he is generally more "restrictive" about styles in liturgy than I am. So (as should be expected, always) my opinion is not the only legitimate one.

It's more splitting hairs. In my very limited (light analysis of a few pieces, and singing twice) experience with barbershop music, I've found it has strikingly odd and distinctive procedures for voice leading. Not that I understand them, but they're quite recognizable. So I find "barbershop-ish" somewhat inapt of terminology, though Adam probably never intended his observation as objective analysis. I was just being picky.

Following up on the piano part discussion: Following is an unsolicited comment from one choral director. I'm not an organist so I didn't follow up on it before, nor do I think that a woodwind version would sell, but here it is fwiw:

"The accompaniment creatively dances around the vocal parts, and it's just sweet... Have you thought of doing a woodwind trio/quartet version of the piano part? I think hearing those different colors would certainly prove complimentary. Or an organ with some really great stops. "

Also a slightly better
recording of an SATB version from my Hartenshield Music web site and companion pdf score

Thanks for your kind words, Adam; I first began 'lurking' here because intending to write some serious liturgical music. Over the past year I finished nearly an hour of music in five Marian motets for chorus and orchestra in Latin, intended as concert music, and this summer am writing Christmas music. I'll certainly post when the liturgical pieces are ready!

I fully agree with you about the dangers of midi, but ... it's a useful tool, too.

Meanwhile, another Christmas piece, again intended to be sung naturally in just intonation and accompanied by equal tempered keyboard: "Soft, O Soft" pdf score
and recording

The introduction is a three-part inventionlet.

Get out! Not intended to be weird. I should have noted, though, that a choir singing their heart out can't hurt your ears, but an electronic recording can be played too loud, so watch the sound levels.

The "Soft, O Soft" lyrics perhaps don't communicate right: I was trying to channel a little John Milton, with God's plans challenged but winning after all.

I thought they communicated very well- at least to me, they did.

I hope my characterization as "pretty weird" wasn't too distressing. I do mean it as compliment, as I hope was clear.

Again- and I only speak from my opinion- it doesn't strike me as liturgical. That you were channeling John Milton further confirms that, for me.

If I offend- my apologies. I do like your music.