Choral Caffeine: Free Music

In the November issue of the Choral Journal (in your mailbox right now) ACDA’s Executive Director, Tim Sharp, says, “Choral composition is the oxygen, water, and nutrient of our life and work as a choral organism.”

 

It’s absolutely true.  We’re all on a continual quest – a hunt, really – for new music.  Our appetite for new music verges on rapacious.  Yet feeding that hunger can come at a high price.

 

In his article, “The Best Things in Life Are Free: Especially Choral Music” (Eastern Division Troubadour, January 2009), James A. John discusses in some detail the Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL) as a useful and affordable tool in our unending search for literature.

 

The Choral Public Domain Library, or CPDL (cpdl.org), has been in existence for [more than] ten years. Currently one of the largest free sheet music websites in the world, CPDL makes access to choral scores easier and more economical than ever before. If you are familiar with

CPDL you have probably found it helpful.

 

You may also have discovered — as I have — that the quality of what’s available varies widely. The sheer volume of material can be overwhelming, requiring time and effort to sort out editions and make intelligent choices. Learning to get the most out of this formidable resource is a challenge, so I decided to explore CPDL in greater depth.

 

James does add this small caveat:   After downloading a score proofread it carefully. Some editors are meticulous; others are not.

 

(To access the full article, simply click the highlighted title. For additional articles on a dazzling array of choral topics, visit ChorTeach.)