“Big Sing-friendly” Choral Catalogue

ave maria 005There’s been a lot of interest in recent days from New Zealanders looking for “Big Sing” repertoire, so I thought I’d put together a few suggestions that are suitable for that festival (nothing longer than 5-ish minutes). The scores are all available from this website and also from www.sounz.org.nz  . My own compositions (not the arrangements, I would suggest) can be included in the NZ repertoire section of the recitals and indeed have been on many occasions in the past, in both regional festivals and national finales. To see clips of the score or hear recordings of these pieces, you can click on the underlined titles.

There are also many easier, or longer pieces than those on this list, which you can find by clicking the button links.

 

Songs for High Voices           Go to Songs for High Voices12th feb 018

  • Alleluia! Into The Light (SSAA) – miner’s carol, flowing verses interrupted by rhythmic fanfares.
  • Autumn Sea (1-7 parts) – wavy, easy, in 7/4. Evokes the movement and life of a grey sea on the rocks (performed in 2015 by St. Cuthbert’s College)
  • Banana Fanfare (SSA) – feisty, tricky, fun. Uses only one word! (performed in The Big Sing several years ago by Queen’s High School)
  • Banana Fanfare II (3-part, treble voices) – feisty, easy, fun. Uses only one word! (performed in 2015 by The Bridge Singers, amongst many others)
  • The Cobbler’s Daughter (SSAA + 2 instruments. arr.) – dramatic tale, lively. An arrangement of an English folk song. (performed in 2006 by Duchess’s High School Girls’ Choir)
  • From A Railway Carriage (SSAA) – speeding along, rhythmic vitality required. Things flash by as on a real railway journey (performed in The Big Sing in 2006 by Villa Nova College)
  • Golden Rain Baby (SSAA, S solo + melody instrument), repeating patterns, changing time signatures, a flowing lullaby. (performed many years ago by Queen’s High School, and Chanterelle of Brisbane)
  • Hodie Christus Natus Est (SSAA + SSAA) – antiphonal, popular beyond belief, joyful. A lively choral fanfare. (performed many times in The Big Sing and elsewhere, but originally by Woodford House School)
  • Girl circleHow Beautiful Are The Feet (SSA arr.) – Handel’s aria, beautiful melody shared amongst the three voices. (performed recently by Duchess’ High School)
  • In The Bleak Midwinter (SSA) – easy, smooth, very popular indeed in The Big Sing, serene.
  • Laughing Song (SSA) – hilarious, tricky in rhythm and also in the putting together thereof.
  • Magical Glass  (SSAA) – folksy, lively, dramatic lyrics need telling energetically.
  • Marching Song (SSAA) – martial, requires the ability to count although in 4/4 throughout, distinctive use of crotchet rests
  • Motu Puketutu (SSA + perc) – some part-singing, Maori language, rhythmic, yet flowing along. (Performed in The Big Sing in recent years by St. Cuthbert’s College & Southland Girls’ High School)
  • My Bed Is A Boat (SSAA) – lullaby, optional soprano solo in the middle, rocking accompaniment.
  • The Moon (SSAA) – spooky, dramatic, hockets, dim the lights. (performed in The Big Sing 2014 by Craighead Diocesan School, also in previous years By Queen’s High School and Burnside High School)
  • Omnes de Saba (SSAA) – perky, Medievalish, rhythmically vital. (Performed in 2014 by Rock Festival Choir)
  • Ooh Ladyfinger (SSAA) – has wry, clever humour, it’s about a banana, the lyrics need a dramatic telling, bluesy. (performed brilliantly in 2015 by Craighead Chorale from Timaru)
  • Push The Boats Out (SSA) – sea shanty, rollicking, heavy, feisty, poignant at times.
  • A Red, Red Rose (SSA) – tender, expressive melodies, additive rhythms. (performed in The Big Sing by Queen’s High School)
  • The Swing (SA) – up and down, swinging and pausing and swinging again, wheeeeh! (performed in the 2015 Big Sing by St Cuthbert’s College, and also in previous years by Westlake Girls’ High School)

 

opera week 018Songs for Low Voices

Go to Songs for Low Voices

  • Alleluia! Into The Light (TTBB) – miner’s carol, flowing verses interrupted by rhythmic fanfares.
  • Calon Lan (TBB, arr.) – Welsh folk song, hymn-like rhythmically, easyish.
  • Cushie Butterfield (TTBB arr.) – Tyneside folk song, uses some local dialect, humorous, dramatic, slightly drunken.
  • Hodie Christus Natus Est (TTBB +TTBB) – antiphonal, popular beyond belief, joyful. A lively choral fanfare. (Performed in the 2015 Big Sing by King’s College, and also in previous years by Otago Boys’ High School)
  • In The Bleak Midwinter (TBB) – easy, smooth, very popular in the Big Sing, serene. (Performed recently in The Big Sing by Otago Boys’ High School)
  • Woodhorn (2)Magical Glass (TTBB) – folksy, lively, dramatic lyrics need telling energetically.
  • Maggie’s Rant (TBB+pno) – folksy, mournful, feisty, increasingly bitter. One of the Maggies is Mrs Thatcher.
  • March of the Heavy Ginghams (TBB + snare drum) – Martial, humorous, dramatic, feisty, pompous. (Perfomed in The Big Sing by Palmerston North Boys’ High School)
  • Omnes de Saba (TTBB) – perky, Medievalish, rhythmically vital.
  • Ooh Ladyfinger (TTBBB) – has wry, clever humour, it’s about a banana, the lyrics need a dramatic telling, bluesy.
  • Ooh Ladyfinger, simplified version (TTBB) – requires less rhythmic independence of parts than the other.
  • Push The Boats Out (TBB) – sea shanty, rollicking, heavy, feisty, poignant at times.
  • A Red, Red Rose (TBB) – tender, expressive melodies, additive rhythms.
  • The Water Of Tyne (TTBB arr.) – popular Tyneside folksong, easyish, three verses: all the same. (Performed recently by Lionheart Harmony)

 

Songs for Mixed Voices           Go to Songs for Mixed VoicesSlide23

  • Alleluia! Into The Light (SATB) – miner’s carol, flowing verses interrupted by rhythmic fanfares.
  • Ave Maria (SSATB + tambourine) – Lively, repeating patterns,  and a bit of jingling in a rhythmic choral fanfare. (Performed in 2o14 by Rock Festival Choir)
  • Banana Boy (SATB + piano + voice percussion) – bananas are good for you in a Latin style with voice percussion.
  • Because Of You (SATB + SS solos +pno) – wedding commission, bells, singing, happy, happy, happy, flowing, tug-at-your-heart-strings melodies. (Performed recently by Rock Festival Choir)
  • Cantate Domino (SSAATTBB) – lively choral fanfare, interlocking rhythms, monophonic textures. (Performed in recent years by Concentus, Brisbane and Rock Festival Choir)
  • Chantry Chapel Carol (SSAATB) – lively, rhythmic, partner song to the Yorkshire Holly and The Ivy (Performed in 2015 by The Bridge Singers)
  • Dies Sanctificatus (SSAATTBB) – antiphonal, spiky rhythms, interlocking repeating patterns, uneven time signatures. (Performed in the 2013 Big Sing by Choralation of the Westlake High Schools)
  • The Duke Of Northumberland’s Ale (SATB, Pno, melody inst.) – folksy, wordy, teeth and lips need to toil niftly, increasingly drunken.
  • Exulta Filia Sion (SSAATTBB) – men start loud and slow, women start quiet and lively, by the end they’re all loud and lively, compromise heaven. (Performed by Rock Festival Choir and Allmanna Sangen)
  • Four Pence A Day (SAATB + solo) – glissandos, folk song, thick textures, evocative, mournful, nice tune. (Performed recently by Alnwick and District Choral Society)
  • Hey Diddle Diddle (SAB) – startling, very short, high voice divisi, low voice non-divisi, commissioned  for a top-heavy choir. (Performed in The Big Sing by Bayfield High School)
  • Hodie Christus Natus Est (TTBB + SSAA) – antiphonal, popular beyond belief in The Big Sing and elsewhere, joyful. A lively choral fanfare.
  • In The Bleak Midwinter (SATB) – easy, smooth, very popular for the Big Sing, serene. (Performed in 2013 by Bailiffgate Singers amongst others)
  • Laetentur Caeli (SSAATTBB) – earnest clergy, distant seraphs, sublime, lush harmonies for the women. (Performed recently by Rock Festival Choir)
  • The Lamb (SATB) – oh so very tuneful, melisma, altos get the big tune, flowing accompaniments. (Performed recently by Southern Consort of Voices, Alnwick and District Choral Society and  Rock Festival Choir)
  • The Lambton Worm (SATB + instrument arr.) – Wearside folksong, some local dialect, lively, riotous tale of heroism. (Performed by Duchess’ High School, Rock Festival Choir and The Bridge Singers)
  • sheep pic francesLittle Bo-Peep (SATB) – gentle, flowing, benign and then shockingly alarming. She sews the tails back on! (Performed in the Big Sing by Catlins Area School and also Rock Festival Choir)
  • The Log On The Beach (SATB) – fanfare, then lyricism, then fanfare, blocks on the beach too. (Performed in recent years by Alnwick and District Choral Society)
  • The Lullaby of Robert Landreth (SATB) – stone mason’s tools, early settlers in Otago from the Scottish borders, flowing melodies, melisma.
  • Magical Glass (SATB) – folksy, lively, dramatic lyrics need telling energetically. (Performed in 2015 by Bailiffgate Singers, and in 2014 by Alnwick and District Choral Society)
  • Maggie’s Rant (SATB) – folksy, mournful, feisty, increasingly bitter. One of the Maggies is Mrs Thatcher. (Performed recently by Alnwick Community Choir)
  • Manukau (SATB) – watery, multi-divisi at times, flowing, mournful.warkworth castle 250
  • Motu Puketutu (SATB + S choir solo) -voice perussion, Maori language, rhythmic, yet flowing along. (Performed by several choirs in The Big Sing, most notably Rangitoto College)
  • Nae Stream Sae Lovely (SATB, piano) – melismatic and flowing melodies, Northumbrian dialect. This river flows past my house. Beautiful.
  • No-Umbrella Blues (SATB) – Dunedin song, Robert Burns, dripping, bluesy. (Performed in the 2014 Big Sing by Samuel Marsden College, also by Orlando Singers and Rock Festival Choir)
  • Omnes de Saba (SATB) – perky, Medievalish, rhythmically vital.
  • Ooh Ladyfinger (SATB) also easier version (SAB + pno) – has wry, clever humour, it’s about a banana, the lyrics need a dramatic telling. (Performed in recent years by Rock Festival Choir)
  • O Waly Waly (SATB + piano and melody instrument, arr.) – arrangement of the folksong, it flows along, mournful.
  • She’s Like The Swallow (SSATBB, arr.) – complex arrangement of Canadian folksong, in uneven time signatures, dramatic, interlocking accompaniment curls.
  • That First Christmas Night (SATB) – festive, lyrics by a nun, sacred, jazzy chords, syncopation, in 4/4 but with take-you-by-surprise bars in 3 here and there. (Performed recently by Rock Festival Choir)

 

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