Ideas for sacred music for children's choir

Father Klingele

So much of the music promoted for children's choirs is patronizing, if not ridiculous. Can anyone give suggestions for sacred music for children's choirs? I am looking for good chant pieces and anthems/motets for singing particularly during the Offertory or Communion. Our children's choir last year did "O Mysterium Ineffabile" and "Love Divine, All Love Excelling" in 2 parts from the same music folder. Jeff Ostrowski's suggestion of Regina Caeli made elsewhere is good. All the school children know it for where chant it after Mass during Easter.

David Andrew

There are some highly suitable compositions available from the Royal School of Church Music. GIA is the sole distributor in the U.S.

Many of their pieces are for unison or two-part voices, and their (RSCM) catalogue will indicate distribution of voices and level of difficulty.

There is also a website (PD/choral wiki) in the U.K. that specializes in pieces originally composed for or arranged for small choirs, including unison and two-part equal voices. It is: www.small-choirs.org.uk

francis

Here is one for communion. I am posting both the English and Latin versions. And being daring, here is the piano version too. (sorry frogman!) That version is two-part (in antiphonal style) and is perfect for children. (NOTE: These versions are very flexible. One can superimpose the two-part version on top of the organ accompaniment and it still works. You can even turn the latin into an antiphonal two-part work. Just do the Math.)

[For the truly ambitious, I have an arrangement for SATB, harp, chimes and String Orch.] Including first two pages for preview. Email if interested.

(Feel free to make copies for your choir. Just keep the copyright notice attached. Thnx)

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