Instrument of Peace - GALA Choruses



Recommended Repertoire for a New GALA Chorus

Notes compiled by Dr. Tim Seelig

Opening Numbers: Want to use the hall to the fullest.

Antiphonal/solos/small groups, etc.

Gloria, Haec Dies, Carpe Diem, Hosanna, Jazz Cantate

Bonse Aba – Zambian Song - Fun, processional

Lush and Beautiful Selections:

*hope, faith, life, love - Eric Whitacre

Text: e.e. cummings

From: Three Songs of Praise

Gorgeous, quintessential Whitacre.

If Music Be the Food of Love – David Dickau

Gorgeous, gorgeous

We Are One – Brian Tate

Great, easy, gospel swing – perfect words

Need to add percussion or something

"Prayer of the Children" by Kurt Bestur.  It is strophic, so once you know one verse, you know it all.  This will chill your audience.  Strikingly beautiful.  Significant message. SATB, SSAA, TTBB

A blessing of music – Joseph Martin

Perfect text – simple

The Epitaph – Joseph Martin

“do not stand at my grave and weep”

Earth Song – Frank Ticheli

Stunning, simple and accessible

*I thank you god – Gwyneth Walker

Fabulous

*Amor de mi Alma by Z. Randall Stroope (SATB divisi).  

Fabulous text, stirring and sonorous.  

*Hope for Resolution  SATB w/ sub SATB group.

Really amazing juxtaposition of African style/language and chant!  Accessible. It builds and builds and builds!  Though it's not scored for percussion, you can def insert some African drums for when the African part comes in (later in the piece).  Potential showstopper material.  Also religious.  

*Sudden Light by Robert Young.  SATB divisi, a cappella.  

About having loved someone so much that you think you must have known them in another life.  Very striking lines.  Amazing, loving text.

Serenade of Music – Vaughan Williams

Challenging repertoire

*Mass for the Armed Man by Karl Jenkins

One selection

There are recordings of all of the following on the Santa Barbara Music Press web site if you would like to hear them.

Alleluia by Terry Schenker

Santa Barbara Press

SBMP 707

Timor et Tremor by Terry Schenker

SBMP 701

Roll, Jordan, Roll arr. Ken Berg

SBMP 819

Canticle of Praise by Rene Claussen

SBMP 655

Rytmus by Hrusovsky

SBMP 319

Carpe Diem by Joan Szymko

SBMP 862

Gloria – by Michael Elgin

SBMP 827

Haec Dies by Brant Adams

SBMP 389

Selah – Dan Forrest

Text: Hebrew for “pause” or “rest”

Hinshaw HMC2097

Hosanna – Dan Forrest

Text – Hosanna

Multiple meters – challenging, not sure about memorizing

Life’s Mirror – Eleanor Daley

Great text

I Carry Your Heart with Me – Randall Stroope

Beautiful – maybe too lovey

The Dreamer – Mark Hayes

Written for someone you know

Jazz Cantate – Greg Gilpin

Fun, different, perky

Fun/Entertaining (NEED HELP HERE – unless we decide on The

Seasonings)

Food Songs

Play With Your Food Paul Carvey Walton Music

Hard and fabulous

*The Seasonings P. D. Q. Bach

20 minute oratorio

Such a Nice Brisket

Cute – madrigal-ish

*Coffee (In a Cardboard Cup), Kander & Ebb, arranged by Kevin Robison, commissioned by Heartland and GMCLA. (TTBB) Hal Leonard

Caffeine Overload Polka, Eric Lane Barnes. elb@ (TTBB & SATB)

Bittersweet Tango, Eric Lane Barnes. elb@ (TTBB, SATB, and SSA)

Very funny about chocolate

*Not About Cheese!, Robert Convery. EC Schirmer (SATB). 5 movements, each available separately:

o Six Sausages for Sale

o Baby Bear's Lament

o Indigestible You [my favorite]

o No Time For Zeus

o Miss Muffet's Revenge

*Food Glorious Food (from Oliver), Lionel Bart arranged Aden G. Lewis. Hal Leonard (voicing unclear)

*Dinner Anyone by Thomas Bucci Published by Edition Musicus

1. Potato-Vegetable Chowder

2. Minced Turkey

3. Harlequin Salad

4. Coffee Parfait

*The Feast by Allan Robert Pelker Published by Pavane Publishing

Sweet One

Appetizing Prelude

Celery

Food, Food, Food

Sweet Two

The Honeycomb

On Tomato Ketcup

Eating Song

Sweet Three

Do You Carrot All for Me?

Peas

Cherry Ripe

Finale

Dessert

SSAA Repertoire

*I will lift up my eyes – Z. Randall Stroope

Beautiful

*Las Amarillas by Stephen Hatfield. SSA.  Showstopper.  A cappella.  Rhythmically difficult but an incredible song.

*Fear No More the Heat o' the Sun  SSA.  Not sacred.  Very ballad.  Very big.  Extremely inspirational.  Gorgeous vocally and accomp.  Touches the soul in a very powerful and MIGHTY way.  So much dignity in this piece, and you will thank God for this text.

*Lux Aeterna by Z. Randall Stroope  (SSA)  Gorgeous, gorgeous lines!  It's good for when there are lots of busy pieces in the program and you need something to simplify the texture of the programming.

*In Remembrance by Eleanor Daly.  SSAA.  Wonderful painting opportunity.  Wonderful, solid a cappella writing and stunning text.

Miss Celie’s Blues

Quincy Jones, Arr. J. David Moore (MUSE: Sing to the Universe)

TTBB Repertoire

"Manly Men"  This is a spoof on men's choral genres.  It is a showstopper and funny as hell.

Kurt Knecht - Walton Music

"Prayer of the Children" by Kurt Bestur.  It is strophic, so once you know one verse, you know it all.  TTBB.  This will chill your audience.  Strikingly beautiful.  Significant message.

Benedictus – James Eakin

Text: Michael Browne

From FLOWERS ON THE GRAVE OF WAR

4-hand piano/3 female soloists

O Earth, O Earth, Return - Bill Douglas

Text: William Blake

Third Planet Music

Lux Aeterna – John Rutter

REQUIEM

Family Repertoire

Miss Celie’s Blues

Quincy Jones, Arr. J. David Moore (MUSE: Sing to the Universe)

Brother: He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother

Arr. Mark Hayes

Children: Lullabye

SERENADE OF LIFE

A Light

ONLY HUMAN

On Children

Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Text: Kahil Giran

Barnwell’s Notes Publishing/BMI

(MUSE Sing to the Universe)

We Are

Ysaye Maria Barnwell

Barnwell’s Notes Publishing/BMI

Mother: Music in My Mother’s House

J. David Moore

In My Mother’s Eyes

TO A DANCING STAR

Grandmother: Sit By Me

In My Grandmother’s Garden

ONLY HUMAN

Requiem

Memories: Wanting Memories

Ysaye Maria Barnwell

Barnwell’s Notes Publishing/BMI

(MUSE Growing Into Our Roots)

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