damont

At Pennsic this year (about which more later) I got a chance to do choral singing again, which led me to think about choral works I've actually performed, and which are my favorites (or some of them). These are the ones I really remember for evoking strong emotions all by themselves.

These are roughly in chronological order based on when I first sang them.

Gabriel Fauré - Cantique de Jean Racine
Lehigh County H.S. Chorus my senior year. For years after, whenever three or more veterans of that ensemble got together near a piano we'd end up singing this.

Lodovico da Viadana - Exultate Justi in Domino
All-District H.S. Chorus my senior year. A hundred kids taking the lyrics to heart and letting it all hang out, nothing kept in reserve, for the sheer joy of it.

Jakob Handl - Hodie Christus Natus Est
Freshman year in college. Mixes single-choir polyphony with double-choir antiphony in a way that illuminates this traditional lyric in a way I've never experienced before or since. This piece doesn't get sung as much as it deserves.

(American Traditional, arranged by James Erb) - Shenandoah
Made this list for sentimental reasons; W&M alumni (esp. Choir alumni) will understand.

Randall Thompson - Alleluia
Sophomore year in college and often afterwards. A victim of overplaying at times, but it's still the epitome of American choral music of the last 100 years. If you know the piece, you know why.

Antonio Vivaldi - Magnificat
Sophomore year in college. Traditional text in an absolutely gorgeous Italian madrigal setting.

(English Traditional, arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams) - Wassail Song.
College, then again many times later. Distills the exuberance of the Christmas season down to three minutes. A favorite when caroling the campus or mall.

C. V. Stanford - Beati Quorum Via
Grad school. Baroque and Romantic styles meld to give this happy psalm music to pull your heartstrings.

Randall Thompson - The Testament of Freedom
First sang it in grad school, but the performance that put it on my faves list was with the Cincinnati Symphony in 1997 (singing in the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Assembly Chorale). Words by Thomas Jefferson, which form the best explanation I know of for my own flavor of patriotism.

William Byrd and Alfred North Whitehead - I Have Longed For Thy Saving Health
SCAdians will recognize the tune as the Earl of Salisbury Pavan. I first sung it 15 or so years ago; later brought it to the attention of Alle Psallite and we ended up putting it on the Songs of Court and Hall CD.