The March 2015 issue of Choral Journal features a cover article written by coauthors David Rayl and Zebulon Highben titled “Masters in Miniature: Repertoire by Great Composers for Smaller Choirs.” In this article, the authors suggest that “almost every great composer has written at least one piece that is achievable by choirs with fewer singers and limited resources but is still well crafted, worthy of performance, and typical of its genre and style period.”
This article highlights some of these little-known works by well-known composers, which are categorized into the following subheadings: Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical and Romantic. There is also a section on adapting repertoire for solo voice and comments on performance and programming. A full list of repertoire discussed appears below, and you can read the full article or download and print the PDF here. (Note: You must be an ACDA member logged into acda.org to view the Choral Journal online.)
Can you think of any pieces missing from this list that are little-known works by well-known composers?
Feel free to share your thoughts here on ChoralNet in the comment section or even send in a “Letter to the Editor” for publication in an upcoming issue of Choral Journal. I would love to hear from you! Better still, perhaps you should write an article or column in the Choral Journal. You can contact me at .
Choral Journal writing guidelines can be viewed by clicking here.
| Composer | Title | Scoring | Recommended Edition (see article endnotes for complete citation) |
| Billings, William | Wake Every Breath | canon | CPDL |
| Billings, William | When Jesus Wept | canon | CPDL |
| Blow, John | Sing, Sing, Ye Muses | SATB, 2 violins, continuo | Walton Music |
| Buxtehude, Dietrich | Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word (Erhalt uns, Herr) | SATB, 2 violins, continuo | Concordia Publishing |
| Buxtehude, Dietrich | In dulci jubilo | SAB, 2 violins, continuo | IMSLP |
| Crüger, Johann | Awake, My Heart with Gladness (Auf, Auf, mein Herz) | SATB, 2 C insts, continuo | Augsburg Fortress |
| De Sermisy, Claudin | Tant que vivray | SATB | National Music Publishers |
| Dowland, John | Come again, sweet love doth now invite |
various | CPDL |
| Dufay, Guillaume | Conditor alme siderum | ATB | CPDL |
| Dufay, Guillaume | Kyrie Orbis Factor | ATB | GIA Publications |
| Farrant, Richard | Call to Remembrance | SATB | Oxford Univ. Press |
| Hassler, Hans Leo | Dixit Maria | SATB | CPDL |
| Hassler, Hans Leo | Missa super Dixit Maria | SATB | IMSLP |
| Haydn, Joseph | Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo | SATB, 2 violins, cello/bass, organ | Various (see endnote 25) |
| Haydn, Joseph | Six Psalm Settings | 3-part, keyboard (opt) | Various (see endnote 27) |
| Isaac, Heinrich | Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen | SATB | CPDL |
| Leisring, Volckmar | O Filii et Filiae | SATB double choir | Alliance Music |
| Mendelssohn, Felix | Die Nachtigall | SATB | Hinshaw Music |
| Mendelssohn, Felix | Verleih’ uns Frieden | SATB, organ | E. C. Schirmer
|
| Morley, Thomas | Sound Forth the Trumpet in Zion | SAB | GIA Publications |
| Mozart, Wolfgang A. | Kyrie, K. 33 | SATB, continuo | Bärenreiter Verlag |
| Mozart, Wolfgang A. | God Is Our Refuge | SATB | Augsburg Fortress |
| Obrecht, Jacob | Parce, Domine | SAB | GIA Publications |
| Praetorius, Michael | En natus est Emanuel | SATB | Augsburg Fortress |
| Praetorius, Michael | Psallite | SATB | Augsburg Fortress |
| Puccini, Giacomo | Requiem | STB, viola, organ | CPDL |
| Scheidt, Samuel | Remember, Lord (Gedenke, Herr) | SAB, continuo | GIA Publications |
| Schein, Johann Hermann | Christ lag in Todesbanden | SAB, continuo | Tetra/Continuo |
| Schein, Johann Hermann | Eight Chorale Settings from Opella Nova (Part I) | 2-part treble, continuo | Concordia Publishing |
| Schubert, Franz | Mass in C Major | SATB, orchestra | Carus Verlag |
| Schubert, Franz | Mass in G Major | SATB, orchestra | Carus Verlag |
| Schubert, Franz | Antiphonen zum Palmsonntag | SATB | Augsburg Fortress |
| Schütz, Heinrich | Becker Psalter | SATB, continuo (opt) | Augsburg Fortress (see endnote 19) |
| Tallis, Thomas | If Ye Love Me | SATB | Oxford Univ. Press |
| Vulpius, Melchior | Arisen Is Our Blessed Lord (Erstanden ist der heilig Christ) | SATB double choir | Augsburg Fortress |
L Pike says
you have linked us to a page that requires membership, as a member of choral net we cannot access the page
Amanda Bumgarner says
You do have to be a member of ACDA and logged into our site to be able to view the Choral Journal online. If you are interested, you can view the membership categories here: http://acda.org/page.asp?page=membertypes11092012
You can also request a single copy of an issue of Choral Journal for $3 by emailing .