Resources for Easy, English Choral Music?

ajglotz

Hello all,

My parish choir lives in a place I am sure many other people are familiar with: not currently skilled enough to sing anything remotely close to polyphany, yet incredibly confident and proficient in all the kitchy show-tune-esque repertoire they've sung for 30 years (that I am slowly and inconspicuously "filing away" to the back dumpster). While I know to simply throw them into the deep end with Palestrina and watch them quickly drown would be a mistake, if I have to conduct one more piece with the predictable 8-bar piano entrance and rock-ballade key change halfway through the song... anathema sim!

In my discernment, I see the way forward to be simple, English choral music: legitimately beautiful like polyphany, but accessible like their show-tunes. A via media! I've taken up this task myself as a composer, but I'm hardly able to write at a pace required for the amount of repertoire we need. Does anyone have recommendations of resources for easy, beautiful, English choral music? Either specific motets or pointers towards databases or catalogues are both appreciated!

I see a great need in the Church today for choral music that bridges the gap between where many parish choirs are and where we want to take them. My goal is to build my choir's confidence by singing things that lie just on the edge of what they're capable of while also offering fitting worship to God and worthy edification to the congregation--something that I just don't see happening with our current selection of OCP octavos.

Any recommendations are appreciated!

emac3183

Healey Willan is a great place to start: we sang his "Come Unto Me" from 12 Sayings of Jesus, which are unison works. That particular one is on CPDL. If the choir can't sing unison, they aren't going to ever be able to sing polyphony.

Don't discount 2/3/4 voice works by Perosi--they aren't often "great works," but they are simple and beautiful. You can find them in the 12 books of Melodiae Sacrae. https://imslp.org/wiki/Melodie_sacre_(Perosi%2C_Lorenzo) They are often written simply enough for choirs to get them even if they aren't super familiar with Latin.

Sometimes hymns can be sung as "anthems": I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IfkCG0328E. Homophonic rhythm is a beginning choir's friend.

I have a plethora of English pieces in my library, many of which are from the Anglican tradition, but I need to peruse them further before I recommend them.

ajglotz

I did find that a good chunk of the music I want to keep from the parish's library was Healey Willan, so it's good to hear I'm on the right track with him. I'll look into Perosi too!

Anthemized hymns certainly make up the majority of what I'm keeping in the library. The only downside is that I don't want to use them for a post-communion meditation, which is 95% of the choral music we do.

probe

Also see links at https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/comment/270568

irishtenor

Take a look at The Oxford Book of Easy Flexible Anthems. Not everything there is terrific, but there are quite a few pieces that are decent and would move you in the direction of tradition. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-book-of-easy-flexible-anthems-9780193413252?cc=us&lang=en&;

liampmcdonough

In no particular order, some chestnuts

davido

Veni Emmanuel - Zoltan Kodaly (octavo has optional English)
Attende domine/hear us almighty Lord - Rob Glover
If ye love me - Philip Wilby
Alleluia Canon - Boyce
some anthems of Hal Hopson are great. The Gift of Love. There is a series for 2 part choir arranging tunes from the Classical Masters. “Lord you have searched me” is one.
Up to the hills - Normand Gouin

People usually respond well to famous classical pieces:
Jesu joy of man’s desiring - Bach
Ave verum - Mozart
Ave Maria - Gounod or Schubert, there are choral arrangements of both

CGM

Teach me, O Lord — Attwood

The organ accompaniment basically doubles the voices, and the piece can work well a cappella (if you need that option).

ajglotz · 4:49PM

Thank you all for the suggestions!

Don9of11 · 5:11PM

I would recommend you check out Sacred Music Library if you haven't already.

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