Through my involvement with various choirs, I have listened to a wide variety of choral music. Much of this music comes from the English tradition, however it has been augmented by music from other European cultures.

This blog is an experiment to document my thoughts about the pieces I have listened to. I hope that, as it matures, it will become a useful resource that adds to the discussion of the nature and temperament of a wide variety of choral works.

Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem

Charles Villers Stanford

April 13, 2024 | 4 mins read | Listen on Spotify

With its distinctive opening, this piece is a familiar staple of Easter. The sopranos enter with the clear, bright theme which defines much of the piece. The rest of the choir enters in unison, building intrigue, before bursting into a fast-paced, energetic harmony. To prevent the section from climaxing too early, Stanford pulls the choir back to parallel thirds, with the tenors and basses respectively doubling the sopranos and altos. This allows a further growth when four-part harmony is re-introduced.

Let all mortal flesh keep silence

Edward C. Bairstow

April 11, 2024 | 3 mins read | Listen on Spotify

The opening of this piece demands the full attention of the listener, and how can one give it anything less? The octave male voices captivate the listener with a quiet intensity like that of a calm morning before the rising of the sun. The upper voices, like daybreak, gradually break into an imaginative harmony in which one can hear the music itself breathing as it comes to life. We return to octaves, now with the full choir building tension.

O Sons and Daughters (O Filii et Filiæ)

Walford Davies

March 31, 2024 | 3 mins read | Listen on Spotify

Settings traditional of traditional words and tunes come with a central challenge: how to bring a fresh angle whilst remaining true to the spirit of the material? Davies rises magnificently to this challenge with an exciting setting of the traditional air. He brings simple yet refreshing harmonies throughout, casting the text and tune into a bright, new light, whilst the effective use of solo and full choir maintains interest. The introduction of the organ in the last verse helps to further build excitement, heightening to a climax as the choir sings the final line in unison before erupting into harmony for the concluding alleluias.

Come, Holy Ghost

Thomas Attwood

March 29, 2024 | 2 mins read | Listen on Spotify

On the whole, a perfectly pleasant piece. It opens with a clear soprano solo, which could be ideal for a treble also, before progressing to full choir and finally adding the organ once again, in very a predictable fashion. Whilst simple, interest is nonetheless developed in the harmony throughout the piece. However, the organ interludes start in a somewhat clunky manner, with a falling tritone appearing out of the blue, though it quickly returns to the safety of predictability.