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For other uses, see Choir (disambiguation).

A choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. Choral Music, in turn, is the music written specifically for a choir to perform.

Melbourne Chorale (back of stage)
Melbourne Chorale (back of stage)

A body of singers who perform together is called a choir or chorus. The former term is very often applied to groups affiliated with a church (whether or not they actually occupy the choir) and the second to groups that perform in theatres or concert halls, but this distinction is far from rigid. "Choir" has the secondary definition of a subset of an ensemble; thus one speaks of the "woodwind choir" of an orchestra, or different "choirs" of voices and/or instruments in a polychoral composition. The Venetian polychoral style was a type of music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras which involved spatially separate Choirs singing in alternation In typical 18th to 20th century oratorios and masses, chorus or choir is usually understood to imply more than one singer per part, in contrast to the quartet of soloists also featured in these works. An oratorio is a large Musical composition including an Orchestra, a Choir, and soloists The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the Opera Mass is a fundamental concept in Physics, roughly corresponding to the Intuitive idea of how much Matter there is in an object

Contents

Structure of choirs

Choirs are often led by a conductor or choirmaster. Conducting is the act of directing a Musical performance by way of visible gestures Most often choirs consist of four sections intended to sing in four part harmony, but there is no limit to the number of possible parts as long as there is a singer available to sing the part: Thomas Tallis wrote a 40-part motet entitled Spem in alium, for eight choirs of five parts each; Krzysztof Penderecki's Stabat Mater is for three choirs of 16 voices each, a total of 48 parts. Thomas Tallis (c 1505 &ndash 23 November 1585) was an English Composer. In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions Spem in alium is a forty-part Motet by Thomas Tallis, composed circa 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each Krzysztof Penderecki (ˈkʂɨʂtɔf pɛndɛrˈɛ͡tski born November 23 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish Composer and conductor of classical Other than four, the most common number of parts are three, five, six and eight.

Choirs can sing with or without instrumental accompaniment. Singing without accompaniment is called a cappella singing (although the American Choral Directors Association[1] discourages this usage in favor of "unaccompanied," since "a cappella" denotes singing "as in the chapel" and much unaccompanied music today is secular). A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA, headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence Accompanying instruments can consist of practically any instruments, from one to a full orchestra; for rehearsals a piano or organ accompaniment is often used even if a different instrumentation is planned for performance, or for rehearsing a cappella music. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each While Eastern Orthodox churches and some synagogues ban the use of instruments, in churches of the Western Rite the accompanying instrument is almost always an organ, although in colonial America, the Moravian Church used a string quartet. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of The term colonial history of the United States refers to the history of the land that would become the United States from the start of European settlement to the time of independence This page is about the Moravian Church globally For information about the church in a particular geographic area use the links at Organisation below Many churches which use a contemporary worship format will have a band in the sanctuary to accompany the singing.

Beside the leading of singing in which the congregation participates such as hymns and service music, choirs still sing the full propers (introit, gradual, communion antiphons appropriate for the different times of the liturgical year) at a few churches, chiefly those of the Anglican or Roman Catholic churches; far more common however is the performance of an anthem at the offertory. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities The Proper (Latin proprium) is a part of the Christian liturgy that varies according to the date either representing an observance within the Liturgical Year The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Anglican church music is music that is written for liturgical performance in Anglican church services The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music (in Music theory and religious contexts or more generally a song (or composition of Offertory (from the Ecclesiastical Latin offertorium, French offertoire, a place to which offerings were brought the Alms Roman Catholic Churches use, at their discretion, additional orchestral accompaniment. The most noted Roman Catholic Church in the world to use an orchestral accompaniment is Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. St Patrick's Cathedral is a decorated Neo-Gothic -style Catholic Cathedral in North America The City of New York

Choirs can be categorized by the voices they include:

Choirs are also categorized by the institutions in which they operate:

Finally, some choirs are categorized by the type of music they perform, such as

Layout on stage

One possible layout
One possible layout
German Kantorei in front of the orchestra
German Kantorei in front of the orchestra

There are various schools of thought regarding how the various sections should be arranged on stage. Jazz Singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics improvised or otherwise or A show choir is a group of people who combine choral singing with dance movements sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. In symphonic choirs it is common (though by no means universal) to order the choir behind the orchestra from highest to lowest voices from left to right, corresponding to the typical string layout. In Germany the conductor Helmut Kickton introduced 2000 the historic layout of the 17th –19th century with the choir in front of the orchestra. Helmut Kickton (born June 28, 1956 in Cologne) is a German church musician publisher and Multi-instrumentalist. The historically informed performance, period performance, or authentic performance movement is an approach by musicians and scholars to research and perform works In a cappella or piano-accompanied situations it is not unusual for the men to be in the back and the women in front; some conductors prefer to place the basses behind the sopranos, arguing that the outer voices need to tune to each other.

More experienced choirs often sing with the voices all mixed together. Proponents of this method argue that it makes it easier for each individual singer to hear and tune to the other parts, but it requires more independence from each singer. Opponents argue that this method loses the spatial separation of individual voice lines, an otherwise valuable feature for the audience, and that it eliminates sectional resonance, which lessens the effective volume of the chorus.

For music with double (or multiple) choirs, usually the members of each choir are together, sometimes significantly separated, especially in performances of 16th-century music. Some composers actually specify that choirs should be separated, such as in Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, The War Requiem, Op 66 is a large-scale non- liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten in 1962

Consideration is also given to the spacing of the singers. Studies have found that not only the actual formation, but the amount of space (both laterally and circumambiently) affect the perception of sound by choristers and auditors. [1]

Skills involved in choral singing

Choral singers vary greatly in their ability and performance. The best choral singers possess (among others) the following abilities:

Singers who have perfect pitch require yet other skills:

Historical overview of choral music

Medieval music

Main article: Medieval music
Church singing, Tacuinum Sanitatis Casanatensis (XIV century).
Church singing, Tacuinum Sanitatis Casanatensis (XIV century). The term medieval music encompasses European music written during the Middle Ages. The Tacuinum (sometimes Taccuinum) Sanitatis is a medieval handbook on wellness based on the Taqwin al‑sihha ar تقوين الصحة ("Tables

The earliest notated music of western Europe is Gregorian Chant, along with a few other types of chant which were later subsumed (or sometimes suppressed) by the Catholic Church. History Gregorian chant was organized codified and notated mainly in the Frankish lands of western and central Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries with later additions This tradition of unison choir singing lasted from sometime between the times of St. Ambrose (4th century) and Gregory the Great (6th century) up to the present. Saint Ambrose (c 338 &ndash 4 April 397) was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century During the later Middle Ages, a new type of singing involving multiple melodic parts, called organum, became predominant for certain functions, but initially this polyphony was only sung by soloists. Organum (ˈɔrgənəm though the stress is now sometimes incorrectly put on the second syllable from Ancient Greek ὄργανον - organon "organ instrument In Music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent Melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice ( Monophony Further developments of this technique included clausulae, conductus and the motet (most notably the isorhythmic motet), which, unlike the Renaissance motet, describes a composition with different texts sung simultaneously in different voices. A clausula (plural clausulae) is a Polyphonic composition performed as a musical alternative to the original Plainchant passage that it is intended to replace In Medieval music, conductus (plural conductus) is a type of sacred but non-liturgical vocal composition for one or more voices In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions Isorhythm (from the Greek for "the same rhythm" is a musical technique that arranges a fixed pattern of pitches with a repeating Rhythmic pattern Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 - 1600 The first evidence of polyphony with more than one singer per part comes in the Old Hall Manuscript (1420, though containing music from the late 1300s), in which there is occasional divisi (where one part divides into two different notes, something a solo singer obviously couldn't handle). The Old Hall Manuscript (British Library Additional MS 57950 is the largest most complete and most significant source of English sacred music of the late 14th

Renaissance music

Main article: Renaissance music
Luca della Robbia's Cantoria. Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence.
Luca della Robbia's Cantoria. Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 - 1600 Luca della Robbia (1400-1482 was an Italian sculptor from Florence, noted for his Terracotta roundels Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the Cathedral church ( Duomo) of Florence, Italy. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany

During the Renaissance, sacred choral music was the principal type of (formal or 'serious') music in Western Europe. Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 - 1600 Throughout the era, hundreds of masses and motets (as well as various other forms) were composed for a cappella choir, though there is some dispute over the role of instruments during certain periods and in certain areas. For other uses see Mass (disambiguation The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment Some of the better-known composers of this time include Dufay, Josquin des Prez, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and William Byrd; the glories of Renaissance polyphony were choral, sung by choirs of great skill and distinction all over Europe. Guillaume Dufay ( Du Fay, Du Fayt) ( August 5, 1397 ? &ndash November 27, 1474) was a Franco-Flemish composer Josquin des Prez (c 1450 to 1455 &ndash August 27 1521 often referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (between 3 February 1525 and 2 February 1526 - 2 February 1594 was an Italian Composer of the Renaissance. William Byrd (c 1540 &ndash 4 July 1623 was an English Composer of the Renaissance. In Music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent Melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice ( Monophony Choral music from this period continues to be popular with many choirs throughout the world today.

Madrigals are another particularly popular form dating from this period. A madrigal is a type of Secular vocal music composition written during the Renaissance and early Baroque eras Although madrigals were initially dramatic settings of unrequited-love poetry or mythological stories in Italy, they were imported into England and merged with the more upbeat balletto, celebrating often silly songs of spring, or eating and drinking. To most English speakers, the word madrigal now refers to the latter, rather than to madrigals proper, which refers to a poetic form of lines consisting of seven and eleven syllables each. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

The interaction of sung voices in Renaissance polyphony influenced Western music for centuries. Composers are routinely trained in the "Palestrina style" to this day, especially as codified by the 18c music theorist Johann Joseph Fux. Johann Joseph Fux ( pronounced) (1660 &ndash 13 February 1741 was an Austrian composer music theorist and pedagogue of the late Baroque era Composers of the early twentieth century also endeavored to extend and develop the Renaissance styles. Herbert Howells wrote a Mass in the Dorian mode entirely in strict Renaissance style, and Ralph Vaughan Williams's Mass in G minor is an extension of this style. Herbert Norman Howells CH (17 October 1892 &ndash 23 February 1983 was an English Composer, organist, and teacher Ralph (reɪf Vaughan Williams OM (12 October 1872 &ndash 26 August 1958 was an English Composer of symphonies, Chamber music Anton von Webern wrote his dissertation on the Choralis Constantinus of Heinrich Isaac and the contrapuntal techniques of his serial music seems informed by this study. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Anton Webern (December 3 1883 &ndash September 15 1945 was an Austrian Composer The Choralis Constantinus is a collection of over 375 Gregorian chant-based polyphonic motets for the proper of the mass composed by Heinrich Isaac. Heinrich Isaac (also known as Ysaac, Henricus, Arrigo d'Ugo, and Arrigo il Tedesco – Tedesco meaning "Flemish" or "German" In Music, serialism is a technique for composition that uses sets to describe musical elements, and allows the manipulation of those

Baroque music

The Baroque period in music is associated with the development around 1600 of the figured bass, with dramatic implications in the realm of solo vocal music such as the monodies of the Florentine Camerata and opera. Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 and 1750. Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer Musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords and Nonchord tones in relation In Poetry, the term monody has become specialized to refer to a poem in which one person laments another's death The Florentine Camerata was a group of humanists Musicians Poets and Intellectuals in late Renaissance Florence who gathered Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto This innovation was in fact an extension of established practice of acompanying choral music at the organ, either from a skeletal reduced score (from which otherwise lost pieces can sometimes be reconstructed) or from a basso seguente, a part on a single staff containing the lowest sounding part.

A new choral style was the vocal concertato, combining voices and instruments; its origins may be sought in the polychoral music of the Venetian school. Concertato is a term in early Baroque music referring to either a genre or a style of music in which groups of instruments or voices share a melody usually The Venetian polychoral style was a type of music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras which involved spatially separate Choirs singing in alternation In music history the Venetian School is a term used to describe the Composers working in Venice from about 1550 to around 1610; it also describes Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) brought it to perfection with his Vespers and his Eighth Book of Madrigals[2], which call for great virtuosity on the part of singers and instruments alike. Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the His pupil Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) (who had earlier studied with Giovanni Gabrieli) introduced the new style to Germany. Heinrich Schütz (October 8 ( JC) 1585 Köstritz - November 6 1672 Dresden) was a German Composer and organist, generally regarded Giovanni Gabrieli (c 1554/1557 &ndash August 12 1612 was an Italian Composer and organist. Alongside the new music of the secunda prattica, contrapuntal motets in the stilo antico or old style continued to be written well into the 19th century.

It should be remembered that choirs at this time were usually quite small and that singers could be classified as suited to church or to chamber singing. Vocal weight refers to the perceived "lightness" or "heaviness" of a singing voice Monteverdi, himself a singer, is documented as taking part in performances of his Magnificat with one voice per part[3].

Independent instrumental accompaniment opened up new possibilities for choral music. Verse anthems alternated accompanied solos with choral sections; the best-known composers of this genre were Orlando Gibbons and Henry Purcell. The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music (in Music theory and religious contexts or more generally a song (or composition of Orlando Gibbons ( baptised 25 December 1583 &ndash 5 June 1625) was an English Composer and Organist Henry Purcell (ˈpɜrsəl 10 September 1659 (? – 21 November 1695 was an English Baroque Composer. Grand motets (such as those of Lully and Delalande) separated these sections into separate movements. Michel Richard Delalande Lalande (1657 &ndash June 18, 1726) was a prolific French Baroque Composer and Organist who was one Oratorio, pioneered by Giacomo Carissimi, extended this concept into concert-length works, usually loosely based on Biblical stories. An oratorio is a large Musical composition including an Orchestra, a Choir, and soloists The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the Opera Giacomo Carissimi (baptized April 18 1605 &ndash January 12 1674 was an Italian Composer, one of the most celebrated masters of the early Baroque,

The pinacle of the oratorio is found in George Frideric Handel's works, notably Messiah and Israel in Egypt. Messiah ( HWV 56 is an Oratorio by George Frideric Handel based on a Libretto by Charles Jennens. Israel in Egypt ( HWV 54 is a biblical Oratorio by the composer George Frideric Handel. While the modern chorus of hundreds had to await the growth of Choral societies and his centennial commemoration concert, we find Handel already using a variety of performing forces, from the soloists of the Chandos Anthems to larger groups (whose proportions are still quite different from modern orchestra choruses):

Yesterday [ie Oct. 6] there was a Rehearsal of the Coronation Anthem in Wesminster-Abby, set to musick by the famous Mr Hendall: there being 40 voices, and about 160 violins, Trumpets, Hautboys, Kettle-Drums and Bass' proportionable. The Coronation Anthems were composed by George Frideric Handel ( 1685 &ndash 1759) Zadok the Priest ( HWV 258 The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large mainly Gothic church The Violin family of Musical instruments was developed in Italy in the Sixteenth century. "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry. Timpani (also known colloquially as kettledrums or kettle drums) are Musical instruments in the percussion family . . !

—Norwich Gazette, October 14, 1727

Lutheran composers wrote instrumentally-accompanied cantatas, often based on chorales (hymns). Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1727 ( MDCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A cantata (derived from the Italian word 'cantare' meaning 'to sing' is a vocal composition with an instrumental Accompaniment and often A chorale was originally a Hymn of the Lutheran church sung by the entire congregation A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities While Dieterich Buxtehude was a significant composer of such works, it was largely up to the next generation to undertake cantata cycles on texts for the entire church year. Dieterich Buxtehude ( Dietrich, Diderich) (c 1637 &ndash 9 May 1707 was a German-Danish Organist, Lutenist The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Telemann wrote choral cantatas for Frankfurt (later published in solo versions as the Harmonische Gottesdienst), but Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) made a truly monumental contribution: his obituary mentions five complete cycles, of which three comprising some 200 works are known today, in addition to motets, (Bach himself did not use the term "cantata", motet here refers to his "church music" without orchestra) passions, masses and the Magnificat. Georg Philipp Telemann (March 14 1681 &ndash June 25 1767 was a German Baroque music Composer, born in Magdeburg. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions Passion music are musical compositions reflecting the suffering of Jesus leading up to the Crucifixion.

Baroque cantata with one voice per part
Baroque cantata with one voice per part

A point of hot controversy today is the so-called "Rifkin hypothesis", which re-examens the famous "Entwurff", Bach's 1730 memo to the Leipzig City Council (A Short but Most Necessary Draft for a Well Appointed Church Music) calling for at least 12 singers. This sort of fix restores section edit linkpoints to where they belong In light of Bach's responsibility to provide music to four churches and be able to perform double choir compositions with a substitute for each voice, Joshua Rifkin concludes that Bach's music was written with one voice per part in mind. Joshua Rifkin (born April 22, 1944 in New York) is an American conductor, keyboard player and musicologist.

Classical and Romantic music

Composers of the late 18th century became fascinated with the new possibilities of the symphony and other instrumental music, and generally neglected choral music. Mozart's choral music generally does not represent his best work, with a few exceptions (such as the "Great" Mass in C minor and Requiem in D minor). The Requiem Mass in D minor ( K 626 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in 1791 Haydn became more interested in choral music near the end of his life following his visits to England in the 1790s, when he heard various Handel oratorios performed by large forces; he wrote a series of masses beginning in 1797 and his two great oratorios The Creation and The Seasons. The Creation (Die Schöpfung is an Oratorio written between 1796 and 1798 by Joseph Haydn ( H The Seasons (German Die Jahreszeiten) is an Oratorio by Joseph Haydn ( H Beethoven wrote only two masses, both intended for liturgical use, although his Missa solemnis is suitable only for the grandest ceremonies. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. The Missa solemnis in D Major Op 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823 He also pioneered the use of chorus as part of symphonic texture with his Ninth Symphony. The Symphony No 9 in D minor Op 125 "Choral" is the last complete Symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven.

In the 19th century, sacred music escaped from the church and leaped onto the concert stage, with large sacred works unsuitable for church use, such as Berlioz's Te Deum and Requiem, and Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem. The Grande Messe des morts, Op. 5 (or Requiem) by Hector Berlioz was composed in 1837. Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer Rossini's Stabat mater, Schubert's masses, and Verdi's Requiem also exploited the grandeur offered by instrumental accompaniment. The Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic funeral Mass (called the Requiem from the first word of the

Oratorios also continued to be written, clearly influenced by Handel's models. Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ and Mendelssohn's Elijah and St Paul are in the category. Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and generally known as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3 1809 &ndash November 4 1847 was a German Composer Elijah is an Oratorio written by Felix Mendelssohn in 1846 for the Birmingham Festival. Paulus (in English St Paul) is the title of an Oratorio by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Brahms also wrote secular cantatas, the best known of which are Brahms's Schicksalslied and Nänie. The Schicksalslied ( English: Song of Destiny) is a short powerful work for chorus and Orchestra composed by Johannes Brahms between Nänie (the German form of Latin nenia, meaning "a funeral song" is a composition for SATB chorus and orchestra op

A few composers developed a cappella music, especially Bruckner, whose masses and motets startlingly juxtapose Renaissance counterpoint with chromatic harmony. Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 &ndash 11 October 1896 was an Austrian composer known primarily for his symphonies, masses, and Motets Mendelssohn and Brahms also wrote significant a cappella motets.

The amateur chorus (beginning chiefly as a social outlet) began to receive serious consideration as a compositional venue for the part-songs of Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and others. Robert Schumann, sometimes given as Robert Alexander Schumann (June 8 1810 &ndash July 29 1856 was a German Composer, Aesthete and influential Music critic These 'singing clubs' were often for women or men separately, and the music was typically in four-part (hence the name "part-song") and either a cappella or with simple instrumentation. At the same time, the Cecilian movement attempted a restoration of the pure Renaissance style in Catholic churches. The Cecilian Movement of Church reform was centered in Italy but received great impetus from Regensburg, Germany, where Franz Xaver Haberl

"Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen"

(How lovely is thy dwelling place) from Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) by Johannes Brahms
Problems listening to the file? See media help. Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer

20th and 21st centuries

As in other genres of music, choral music underwent a period of experimentation and development during the 20th century. At the turn of the 20th century classical music was characteristically late Romantic in style while at the same time the Impressionist movement spearheaded by Claude Debussy While few well-known composers focused primarily on choral music, most significant composers of the early century produced some fine examples that have entered the repertoire.

The late-Romantic composers, such as Richard Strauss and Sergei Rachmaninoff, contributed to the genre. Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 &ndash 8 September 1949 was a German Composer of the late Romantic era and early modern era particularly noted WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Сергей Васильевич Рахманинов Ralph Vaughan Williams's Mass in G minor harks back to the Renaissance style while exhibiting the vibrancy of new harmonic languages. Ralph (reɪf Vaughan Williams OM (12 October 1872 &ndash 26 August 1958 was an English Composer of symphonies, Chamber music The Mass in G Minor is a choral work by Ralph Vaughan Williams, written in 1921 Vaughan Williams also arranged English and Scottish folk songs. Arnold Schoenberg's Friede auf Erden is a tonal kaleidoscope, whose tonal centers are constantly shifting (his harmonically innovative Verklärte Nacht for strings dates from the same period). Arnold Schoenberg ( pronounced ˈʃøːnbɛrk (13 September 1874 &ndash 13 July 1951 was an Austrian and later American Composer, associated with Verklärte Nacht, Op 4 ("Transfigured Night" 1899 a String sextet in one movement is regarded as the earliest important work of Arnold Schoenberg

At the end of the nineteenth century and the start of the twentieth, male voice choirs became popular with the coal miners of South Wales, and numerous choirs were established including the Treorchy Male Choir and Pontypridd Male Voice Choir. Treorchy Male Voice Choir is a Choir based in Treorchy in the Rhondda Valley, Wales, United Kingdom. Although the mining communities which gave rise to these choirs largely died out in the 1970s and 1980s with the decline of the Welsh coal industry, many of these choirs continue, and are seen as a traditional part of Welsh culture.

The advent of atonality and other non-traditional harmonic systems and techniques in the 20th century also affected choral music. Serial music is represented by choral works by Arnold Schoenberg, including the anthem "Dreimal Tausend Jahre," while the composer's signature use of sprechstimme is evident in his psalm "De Profundis. Arnold Schoenberg ( pronounced ˈʃøːnbɛrk (13 September 1874 &ndash 13 July 1951 was an Austrian and later American Composer, associated with " Paul Hindemith's distinctive modal language is represented by both his a cappella Mass and his Six Chansons on texts by Rilke, while a more contrapuntally dissonant style comes through in his secular requiem, When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd. Paul Hindemith (16 November 1895 &ndash 28 December 1963 was a German Composer, Violist, violinist teacher music theorist and conductor. Olivier Messiaen also demonstrates dissonant counterpoint in his Cinq Rechants, which tell the Tristan and Isolde story. Olivier Messiaen ( December 10 1908 &ndash April 27 1992 was a French Composer, organist and ornithologist. Charles Ives' psalm settings exemplify the composer's incomparably radical harmonic language. Charles Edward Ives (October 20 1874 – May 19 1954 was an American Composer of modernist Classical music. Tone clusters and aleatory elements play a prominent role in the choral music of Krzysztof Penderecki, who wrote the St. Krzysztof Penderecki (ˈkʂɨʂtɔf pɛndɛrˈɛ͡tski born November 23 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish Composer and conductor of classical Luke Passio, and Gyorgy Ligeti, who wrote both a Requiem and a separate Lux Aeterna. Milton Babbitt incorporated integral serialism into works for children's chorus, while Daniel Pinkham wrote for choir and electronic tape. Milton Byron Babbitt (born May 10 1916 is an American Composer. Daniel Rogers Pinkham Jr (June 5 1923 - December 18 2006 was an American composer Organist, and Harpsichordist Pinkham was one of America's most active composers Meredith Monk's Panda Chant and Astronaut Anthem explore overtones in an unconventional text setting. Meredith Jane Monk (born November 20, 1942, in New York) is an American Composer, performer director vocalist film-maker Though difficult and rarely performed by amateurs, pieces that demonstrate such unfamiliar idioms have found their way into the repertories of the finest semi-professional and professional choirs around the world.

More accessible styles of choral music include that by Benjamin Britten, including his War Requiem, Five Flower Songs, and Rejoice in the Lamb. Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, The War Requiem, Op 66 is a large-scale non- liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten in 1962 Rejoice in the Lamb ( Op. 30 is a festival Cantata for four soloists SATB Choir, and organ composed by Benjamin Britten Francis Poulenc's Motets pour le temps de noël, Gloria, and Mass in G are often performed. See also, Rhône-Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (fʀɑ̃sis ʒɑ̃ maʀsɛl pulɛ̃k January 7, 1899 – January 30, A primitivist approach is exemplified by Carl Orff's widely performed Carmina Burana. Carl Orff ( &ndash) was a 20th-century German Composer, most famous for Carmina Burana (1937 Carmina Burana is a scenic Cantata composed by Carl Orff between 1935 and 1936 In the United States, Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and Randall Thompson wrote signature American pieces. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Aaron Copland (November 14 1900 &ndash December 2 1990 was an American Composer of concert and film music as well as an accomplished Pianist. Samuel Osborne Barber II ( March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American Composer of Orchestral, Opera, For the Canadian boxer see Randall Thompson (boxer Randall Thompson ( April 21, 1899 &ndash July 9, 1984 In Eastern Europe, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály wrote a small amount of music for choirs. Béla Viktor János Bartók (March 25 1881&ndashSeptember 26 1945 was a Hungarian Composer and Pianist, considered to be one of the greatest Zoltán Kodály ( Hungarian: Kodály Zoltán, ˈkodaːj ˈzoltaːn December 16 1882 &ndash March 6 1967 was a Hungarian Composer, Ethnomusicologist Frank Martin's Mass for double choir combines modality and allusion to Medieval and Renaissance forms with a distinctly modern harmonic language and has become the composer's most performed work. Frank Martin can refer to Frank Martin (composer (1890-1974 Swiss classical composer

Sacred Minimalism is represented by Arvo Pärt, whose Johannespassion and Magnificat have received regular performances; The music of John Tavener (Song for Athene) and Henryk Gorecki (Totus Tuus) also receives frequent playings within this genre. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Arvo Pärt (born 11 September 1935 in Paide, Estonia) (ˈɑr̺vɔ WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Not to be confused with John Taverner Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (ˈxɛnrɨk mʲiˈkɔwaj guˈrɛ͡tski (born December 6 1933 in Czernica, Silesia, Poland) is a Polish Composer American minimalism and post minimalism are represented by Steve Reich's Desert Music, choral excerpts from Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach and John Coolidge Adams's Death of Klinghoffer, and David Lang's Pulitzer Prize-winning Little Match Girl Passion. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Stephen Michael Reich (born October 3 The Desert Music is a work of music for Voices and Orchestra composed by Steve Reich based on texts by William Carlos Williams. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Philip Glass (born January 31 Einstein on the Beach is an Opera scored and written by Philip Glass and designed and directed by theatrical producer Robert Wilson. John Coolidge Adams (born February 15 1947 is an American Composer with strong roots in minimalism. David Lang is the name of David Marshall Lang, historian David Lang (composer David Lang (designer, Austrian

Black Spirituals came into greater prominence and arrangements of such spirituals became part of the standard choral repertoire. Spirituals (or Negro spirituals) are songs which were created by African slaves in America. Notable composers and arrangers of choral music in this tradition include William Dawson, Jester Hairston and Moses Hogan. William Dawson may refer to William Dawson (ambassador (1885-1972 career United States diplomat William Dawson (cricketer, first class Jester Hairston ( July 9, 1901 – January 18, 2000) was an American composer songwriter arranger choral conductor and actor Moses George Hogan ( March 13, 1957 - February 11, 2003) was an African-American composer and arranger of Choral music

During the mid 20th century, barbershop quartets began experimenting with combining larger ensembles together into choruses which sing barbershop music in 4 parts, often with staging, choreography and costumes. The first international barbershop chorus contest was held in 1953 and continues to this day.

During the late 20th century, one of the major areas of growth in the choral movement has been in the areas of LGBT choruses. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual Starting around 1979, gay men's choruses were founded within a period of months in major U. S. cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Dallas. Over the last quarter century the number of such groups, men's, women's and mixed, has exploded. GALA Choruses, an associative group, now has well-over 100 member choruses throughout the world. The Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses ("GALA Choruses" is an international association of LGBT choruses founded in 1982.

At the turn of the 21st century, choral music has received a resurgence of interest partly due to a renewed interest in accessible choral idioms. Multi-cultural influences are found in Osvaldo Golijov's St. Osvaldo Noé Golijov (born in La Plata, Argentina, December 5, 1960) is a Grammy award winning Composer of classical Mark Passion, which melds the Bach-style passion form with Latin American street music, and Chen Yi's Chinese Myths Cantata melds atonal idioms with traditional Chinese melodies played on traditional Chinese instruments. Chen Yi may refer to Chen Yi (communist - Chinese communist military commander Chen Yi (Kuomintang - Chief Executive of Taiwan Province Some composers began to earn their reputation based first and foremost on their choral output, with the highly popular John Rutter, Morten Lauridsen, and Eric Whitacre being three of the most well-known examples. John Milford Rutter CBE (born) is an English Composer, choral conductor, editor, Arranger and Record producer Morten Lauridsen (born February 27 1943 in Colfax Washington) is an American Composer of Danish ancestry Eric Whitacre (born 2 January 1970) is an American Composer of choral and wind band music and Electronic music The large scale dramatic works of Karl Jenkins seem to hearken back to the theatricality of Orff, and the music of James MacMillan continues the tradition of boundary-pushing choral works from the United Kingdom begun by Britten, Walton, and Leighton. Dr Karl William Jenkins OBE DMus FRAM ARAM LRAM FWCMD FTCC (born February 17, 1944) is a Welsh musician and composer James M(acMillan may be James McMillan (Senator (1838&ndash1902 a Senator and politician from Michigan USA James MacMillan (composer Meanwhile, prominent primarily orchestral composers such as Augusta Read Thomas, Sofia Gubaidulina, Aaron Jay Kernis, and Thomas Ades still contribute vital additions to the choral repertoire. Augusta Read Thomas (born April 24, 1964) is an American Composer. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina, (София Асгатовна Губайдулина София Aaron Jay Kernis (born January 15, 1960) is a highly-honored contemporary Composer. Thomas Adès (born in London, 1 March 1971) is a British Composer, Pianist and conductor.

See also

References

  1. ^ Daugherty, J. This list of choirs contains Choirs with entries in the Wikipedia plus other particularly noted choirs A " come and sing " event offers people who enjoy singing the opportunity to form a temporary Choir ("scratch choir" to rehearse and/or perform choral music Spacing, Formation, and Choral Sound: Preferences and Perceptions of Auditors and Choristers. Journal of Research in Music Education. Vol. 47, Num. 3. 1999.
  2. ^ His Fifth Book includs a basso continuo "for harpsichord or lute".
  3. ^ "La voce e grata assai, ma. . . " in Early Music, 199-

External links

Dictionary

choir

-noun

  1. singing group; group of people who sing together; company of people who are trained to sing together
  2. the part of a church where the choir assembles for song
  3. (Christian angelology) one of the nine ranks or orders of angels
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