A Master of Styles: The Choral Music of William Bolcom

The upcoming May issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “A Master of Styles: The Choral Music of William Bolcom.” William Bolcom is a living composer who was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1938. He has composed in all genres: nine symphonies, four concertos, twelve string quartets, four violin sonatas, four operas, three pieces of musical theatre, two film scores, and over 150 other works.

As the article states: “Bolcom only writes choral music for commission, and on the average, he publishes a new choral composition approximately every two years: counting numerically, choral works comprise 10 percent of his oeuvre. Bolcom’s choral works can be divided into two categories: works for men’s chorus and works for mixed chorus (no works for women’s chorus appear extant). There are four works for men’s chorus, which leaves eighteen choral works for mixed voices, which can be further subdivided almost evenly into three categories: longer works (defined as compositions with a duration of eight minutes or more: there are 6); unaccompanied works (5); and works with keyboard accompaniment (5). Additionally, he has two choral-orchestral works.”

This Choral Journal article focuses on providing readers an overview of Bolcom’s choral works, with selected examples provided as illustrations. Below is a table showing all of Bolcom’s choral works. This issue of Choral Journal will be available online April 1 and mailed out to our members in three weeks. Non members can review the benefits and membership categories here to start receiving the Choral Journal. (There is an associate membership option for only $45 a year!)

Works for Men’s Chorus
Title	Instrumentation/Voicing	Source of Text	App. Duration	Date	Publisher
The More Loving One	TTBB and Piano	W.H. Auden	4’	1989	Hal Leonard
Maha Sonnet	TTBB Chorus and Piano/SATB and Piano	Arnold Weinstein	4’	1990	Hal Leonard
The Miracle: 9 Madrigals after Giovanni Pascoli	TTBB, woodwind quintet, and 2 percussion	Arnold Weinstein	20’	1999	Theodore Presser Company
Searchlight Soul	TTB and Piano	University of Michigan poetry students – Carrie Luke, Nicholas Harp, Shane Omar, and Tim Tebeau.	10’	2009	Hal Leonard
Longer Works for Mixed Chorus
Title	Instrumentation/Voicing	Source of Text	App. Duration	Date	Publisher
Satires	Madrigal Group, SSAT (Bar.) B (T often CT)	William Bolcom	20’	1970	Hal Leonard
The Mask	SATB and Piano	5 Poems by African-American poets – Paul Laurence Dunbar, Gwendolyn Bennett, Richard Bruce, Charles Cyrus Thomas, and T.J. Anderson III.	20’	1990	Hal Leonard
May-Day	SATB and Piano or Organ	Ralph Waldo Emerson	8’	2002	Hal Leonard
Two Meditations (on poems by George Herbert)	SATB and organ	George Herbert	8’	2006	Hal Leonard
Four Piedmont Choruses	SATB and Piano	Kathryn Stripling Byer	15’	2007	Hal Leonard
A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day	SATB and Organ	John Dryden	16’	2008	Hal Leonard
Short Unaccompanied Works for Mixed Chorus
Title	Instrumentation/Voicing	Source of Text	App. Duration	Date	Publisher
Vocalise (from “Songs of Experience”)	SATB a cappella	William Blake	6’	1977	Hal Leonard, but only  available in the Songs of Experience score
Alleluia	SATB a cappella	Title is the only text	4’	1992	Hal Leonard
Simple Stories: I. Dancers	Soprano and SATB a cappella	Donald Hall	3’	1992	Theodore Presser Company
Solace	SATB a cappella, chime	Dick Allen	3’	2013	free download
Why Was Cupid a Boy?	SATB a cappella	William Blake	1’	2013	Hal Leonard

 

Short Accompanied Works for Mixed Chorus
Title	Instrumentation/Voicing	Source of Text	App. Duration	Date	Publisher
Carol (from The Wind in the Willows)	SATB and Piano	Arnold Weinstein after Kenneth Grahame	3’	1981	Hal Leonard
Chorale on St. Anne’s Hymn	Sop., SATB, and Piano or Organ	Isaac Watts	4’30”	1988	Hal Leonard
Simple Stories: II. Wheel of the Oxcart	SATB, Fl., Cl., Hn., Vcl., and Piano	Donald Hall	3’	1992	Theodore Presser Company
The Rhodora: On Being Asked, Whence Is the Flower?	SATB Chorus and Organ	Ralph Waldo Emerson	4’	2002	Hal Leonard
Lady Liberty	SATB and Piano	Arnold Weinstein	5’	2008	Hal Leonard
Choral-Orchestral Works
Title	Instrumentation/Voicing	Source of Text	App. Duration	Date	Publisher
Songs of Innocence and of Experience: A Musical Illumination of the William Blake Poems	5-10 soloists: S, MS, CA, T, Bar, B, Boy Soprano, Country/Rock/Folk singers; 3 Choruses: SATB, Madrigal, Children’s;  Orchestra: 3333 2Sax 6553 7Pc Org Pno Hp Gtr ElGtr ElBs 2ElVln(2) Str	William Blake	160’	1984	Hal Leonard
Symphony No. 8	SATB Chorus and full orchestra, including piccolo, harp, and celeste	William Blake	35’	2005	Theodore Presser Company