COMPOSITION
SPOTLIGHT ~ by Jack Senzig
(Each week we look at a piece of useful repertoire from the ChoralNet Community Composition Showcase. A variety of voicings and levels of difficulty will be presented. Enjoy!)
Hymns and Songs of the Church/There is a Green Hill Far Away by Antony Pitts SATB a cappella (click for PDF and AUDIO)
Level: High School or higher
Uses: Lent, Good Friday, General Concert Use, Choir Retreat
Program Themes: Suffering and Hope
This Piece Would Program Well With: Mass for Four Voices by William Byrd available from JWPepper and Sheet Music Plus.
There is A Green Hill Far Away should be in every high school choral library. It is a wonderful teaching resource for the late Renaissance style even though it is newly composed. Short and strophic, slow moving and heartfelt, use this piece early in the school year. It will help your students learn to sing in harmony with beautiful phrasing.
Hymns and Songs of the Church/There is a Green Hill Far Away is available from 1equalmusic.com
(Original publication: February 3, 2013)
Antony Pitts says
Hi Jack et el,
A decade on and most of these links have changed:
• scored for mixed voices:
https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/en-US/se/ID_No/1502247/Product.aspx
https://www.antonypitts.com/docs/scores/Thereisagreenhillfaraway.pdf
(perusal score)
Also available as part of Hymns and Songs of the Church:
https://www.lulu.com/shop/john-michael-pitts-and-richard-james-pitts-and-alexander-lestrange-and-orlando-gibbons/hymns-and-songs-of-the-church-standard-format/paperback/product-1peyr8ev.html
and more book formats via https://www.1equalmusic.com/
• scored for upper or lower voices: https://www.antonypitts.com/docs/scores/Thereisagreenhill-UPPERORLOWERVOICES.pdf
(arranged for the 2024 International Christian Choir Competition at Excelsia)
And here are three different performances by TONUS PEREGRINUS:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5fsxN15902zvUP6LQiVFI8
https://open.spotify.com/track/6spvI35k3E4hOdlDWpu7Za
https://open.spotify.com/track/1DATKJKG1r7RZFPydaQWng
Finally, here is the QKL-powered timeline for ‘There is a green hill far away’:
https://www.antonypitts.com/timeline#There%20is%20a%20green%20hill
Hope that’s helpful – still love your “should be in every high school choral library”!
Antony Pitts says