New/new-ish pieces for ambitious SATB choirs

Hi folks,

 

I have some new and new-ish pieces for ambitious SATB college/pro (and perhaps top HS) choirs I’d like to tell you about. All are available directly from me in pdf form and free sample copies are available:

 

“Dirge for Love” (SSAATTBB a.c.) written for Dr. Paul Crabb’s pro group “Prometheus”, recently premiered on their tour which included the Missouri summer ACDA conference. The text  is a fun Elizabethan battle of the sexes romp by Philip Sydney and the tone of the setting is somewhat similar to some of Matthew Harris’ Shakespeare settings. Great fun and it was a hit at the Missouri ACDA room full of 150 choral directors. 5-6 minutes.

 

“Voices of Earth” (SATB/piano, zero divisi) commissioned by Briar Cliff College. This is a wonderful nature/protect the earth text by 19th century Canadian poet Archibald Lampman. Very lyrical and not difficult. 5 minutes.

 

“Prairie Songs” (SATB/piano, zero divisi) commissioned by the Hinsdale Chorale. Very Americana early Carl Sandburg texts, the setting is purposely reminiscent of Copland with a tip of the hat to other early 20th century American composers. Three linked sections totalling 6 minutes. Includes a Sandburg mention of “Why did the Chicken Cross the Road?”– I couldn’t resist setting these charming texts!

 

“Endless Worlds” (SATB with divisi, a.c.) commissioned by the HD Jacobs HS Choraliers (one of the best HS choirs around). This is a four movement work with beautiful texts (in English)  about nature and about music/singing by Tagore from his Gitanjali. About 14 minutes and very lyrical. Moderate difficulty.

 

“Gabriel’s Message” (SATB/piano). A very lyrical setting of a sweet Christmas carol. Not difficult.

 

More difficult, yet still accessible and singable pieces:

 

“When Jesus Wept” (SATB double choir with further divisi at times). A challenging double choir reinvention of Wm. Billings’ famous round. Premiered by Chor Anno in Washington State and recently also performed by University of North Texas. Extended harmonic language and mixtures of barred and overlapping barred/unbarred (yet still in a pulse) scoring with much modern counterpoint (similar to Hugo Distler a bit I suppose). About 8 minutes.

 

“Missa Brevis Incheon” (SATB a.c. with divisi). A bravura work commissioned by the amazing Incheon City Chorale of South Korea. About 16 minutes with stretches of lyricism and also stretches of difficult passages with some amount of extended ranges (ICC requested a challenging score). This piece has been premiered in South Korea and also sung in Japan but has not yet been premiered in the US or Canada (hint, hint).

 

Thanks for reading- please see my website at www.paulcarey.net and read my wide-ranging choral music blog at www.paulcarey440.blogspot.com

 

Paul Carey

Oak Park, IL

(where the Hostess Twinkie was invented)

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