Choral Classics from Excellence 2022 Friday, December 30, 2022
recommended by Jen Sper and Lora Moore, School Choral Music Specialists
Established in 1994, Stanton’s Excellence in Choral Literature session is designed to help you select concert and festival literature from some of choral music’s most distinguished composers. The 29th annual session was held on August 27, 2022. This session features the best new music for mixed, treble, and tenor/bass choirs at all levels of difficulty, as well as classic literature from the choral canon, which is especially valuable to young teachers and those new to the field. Classic titles featured on the 2022 session include:
Gloria (from Heiligmesse) by Franz Joseph Haydn/arr. Patrick Liebergen, SATB with piano
An easy-to-read Haydn masterwork skillfully edited for today’s choirs by Patrick Liebergen. The strong accompaniment (piano or organ) and dramatic dynamic changes make this piece an ideal Classical choral feature for your choir at concerts or festivals.
The Blue Bird by Charles V. Stanford, SATB a cappella
A musically challenging piece, “The Blue Bird” is an excellent choice for developing beautiful choral tone and expression.
Chester by William Billings/arr. Alice Parker & Robert Shaw, SATB a cappella
From all accounts, “Chester” was one of the most popular soldier songs of the Revolution. It was originally published in Billings’ “Singing Master’s Assistant” in the setting used here for the second verse, with the melody in the tenor. The editors have, following our present usage, placed the melody in the soprano for the first verse, while in the third it is doubled in both soprano and tenor. Billings himself wrote that “a tune so sung (although it has but four parts) is in effect the same as six. Such a conjunction of masculine and feminine voices is beyond expression sweet and ravishing.”
The Promise of Living (from The Tender Land) by Aaron Copland, SATB with 4-hand piano or concert band
Aaron Copland’s quintet from “The Tender Land” translates beautifully into this setting for combined chorus with band! Although it makes a perfect choice for Thanksgiving, the wonderful vocal lines make it a magnificent showpiece any time of year. The SATB choral part can stand alone, and offers a piano 4 hands accompaniment. The optional concert band accompaniment is at the medium level and requires the choral part for performance. It’s a fantastic way to program music by a great American composer!
The Road Not Taken (from Frostiana) by Randall Thompson, SATB with piano
Classic choral repertoire at its best! The combination of Robert Frost’s remarkable text and the musical mastery of Randall Thompson make this selection an absolute must in any choral library.
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About the Authors:
Jen Sper is a Choral Music Specialist here at Stanton’s Sheet Music. A native of Cincinnati, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College (now University) Conservatory of Music, and taught 7-12 choir, music theory, class piano, and drama in Southern Ohio before joining the Stanton’s team in 2006. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, Jen can also often be found exploring the exciting restaurant, brewery, and theater scenes in Columbus, wandering through the local metro parks, visiting family around the Great Lakes, or at home with her very friendly cat.
Lora Moore joined the Stanton’s choral staff in July 2018. A former middle school and high school director of 32 years and a former church choir director of 20 years, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Choral Music from Capital University and a Master’s of Arts in Choral Music from The Ohio State University. During the off hours, Lora enjoys scouting out new day trips in Ohio to balance what her budget allows for her frequent trips to New York City to visit family and take in a Broadway show or two!