(Each week we look at one or two of the best choral works posted in the Composition Showcase here on ChoralNet. This is where we store a treasure trove of works that your choirs will love to sing and your audiences will love to hear.)
Requiem Aeternam by Joseph G. Stephens SATB divisi
Level: High School or Higher
Uses: Spring Concert
Program Themes: Born to New Life, Requiem Now and Then
This Piece Would Program Well With: Requiem Aeternam from Requiem in C minor by Cherubini available at JWPepper and Sheet Music Plus
Attention to tuning is often forgotten by musicians that are overworked and over burdened with having to prepare for the next performance. Sometimes we rush our singers to learn a piece without taking the time to help them learn to be better listeners. Joseph Stephen’s Requiem will let directors and choirs take the time to hear and tune each chord.
The extremely slow harmonic change and long held out syllables are a welcome reprieve from the fast-paced text rich pieces we often cram through the grinder. With just 21 measures to focus on, this piece is an excellent choral etude that stands on its own in performance. Requiem Aeternam is a must-do for developing high school and college choirs that want to move their singers up a notch!
The composer is offering this work for free so there is no excuse not to tune up your ensemble.
Requiem Aeternam is available from the composer: http://www.stephensmusic.com
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