This group isn't running on-site at the moment, but this page is still used for some things elsewhere - it wouldn't take much to bring it back, so if you have an interest, get in touch.
The Motet Reading Group currently meets Wednesdays at 5:15 (in Informatics Forum, Room 3.02) to read through motets and madrigals, with the odd excursion into other genres of mutual interest. Members indicate whether they are coming to any given session a little ahead (usually, the previous Friday afternoon) so that I can find something to fit the group. If the music is on-line, I put a link here for you to print it from before you come; if it is in books, then I bring those. We sing one voice per part, although if we can't find something to suit the set of people coming, we may occasionally double up. If there's a last minute cancellation, we can end up running through something completely unexpected, so this does require reasonable (but not perfect!) sight-reading skills. Most of us wouldn't consider ourselves vocalists. Although individually, we aren't necessarily averse to singing in public, this is not a performing group - it's just for fun and to get a good look at the literature.
If you're interested in joining or being a last-minute sub for the odd week, contact Jean Carletta. It's useful if you declare your range below. If you're interested but unsure you're up for this, you can come once and sing softly along with someone else to get a sense of what it's like. If you're interested but the time or way we handle this particular group doesn't suit you, also get in touch - I'm considering setting up some kind of evening madrigal and motet sessions, probably in Morningside. Especially if you don't sing, see also
ChamberSessions.
For group members, there's a section for discussion below. Feel free to comment, object, recommend... throughout the page.
Schedule
On the schedule if I name a specific work, the people are listed in order of voice part starting with the top voice, more or less, just to help me.
We aren't having weekly sessions in-house at the moment, but we are trying ones elsewhere on the first and third Wednesdays of the month - please ask..
(upcoming: try to source enough copies of "A Purcell anthology: vocal score")
Wed 2 May 2012, 8 pm, Morningside. Still counting heads, still Byrd and Tallis, I think, with Morley's Canzonets for three voices as a fall-back if we're short people.
Wed 18 Apr 2012, 8 pm, Morningside. We think it's useful to declare notes ahead, so we've declared the following:
Wed 22 Mar 2012, 8 pm , Morningside. In the church, but unheated; we can move to the heated space downstairs at any time. You needn't worry about being quiet, but don't be too early - I don't think I can arrive with the key more than 5 minutes ahead. KM, JC, GL, PB or KB, BL, JR, MR?. My idea of how to do this is to choose some things that will get us used to each others's voice - for which I will come with the following:
- Tomas Luis de Victoria, (the other) 0 Vos Omnes http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/victoria/vict-ov1.pdf
- William Billings, When Jesus Wept, http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/billings/bill-wjw.pdf
- Thomas Weelkes, Cease, sorrows, now. http://www.doveton-music.de/PDFfree/WeelkesCeaseSorrowsATB.pdf
- Victoria, O Doctor Optime http://www.uma.es/victoria/pdf/O_Doctor_Optime.pdf
- if things are going well, we're likely to pull something in more parts out of books, and it's likely to be bottom heavy, but I don't know what. If I get a chance to pick it up, William Byrd, Mass for five voices, http://choralwiki.net/wiki/images/b/b7/BYRD-MA5.pdf - we don't have copies, but can get them (EUML M2011.B95 Byr.)
Wed 7 Mar 2012, 8 pm, Morningside: We're going to have a motets "special" - there are a bunch of new people I'm asking, so this first time it will be standard (motet only) books and nothing too tricky, and then thinking about where we go next (I can easily do a first Wednesday of the month there for either a regular group or a sign-up-and-sing, but there are other possibilities as well). Be pleased to see anyone who wants to come; if I know you're coming then I'll worry less if one of the others drops out (and warn you first if anything goes horribly wrong so it's cancelled).
IMPORTANT: we're surfing off the heat of a church service that's partly silent - don't be early, enter quietly, and be careful in case they run long; in extreme cases, we gather in the hall (all the way down the drive and through a basement door at the back). So far: KM, JC, MR?, BL, JR, PB; KB, LF, RP?, MEF? all unavailable on the night; MB doesn't do Wednesdays; GL, KO, MP, SH, AL presumed uninterested until hear otherwise.
No LF until autumn 2012, except maybe specials.
Old instructions:
Announce what weeks you'll be here by editing the wiki. Please also announce when you aren't here, since that saves me wondering whether you've forgotten on the weeks when you'd be useful for a missing voice. It helps to indicate well ahead of time if you're already pretty sure you are or aren't here, since then I can spot unusual voice combinations ahead of time and look for the right material. I start looking for firm declarations one week in advance, but I can accommodate some uncertainty.
Range declarations:
This is just notes for me to remember when I'm trying to match works to voices/figure out who I can ask whether they're coming to fill in a part. Brackets mean possible but weaker - we try not to choose pieces that require those notes prominently. On the other hand, if a piece is interesting, we just try to find a work-around that lets us read it anyway.
- AI: Mz, [F3] G3 to D5
- GL: Bar, almost tenor, G2 to G4 5 start preferred
- JC: Mz, [G3] A-flat 3 to G5
- RP: B, G2 to E4
- JR: light bar
- MiG :B or T, whatever
- JG: S or higher A
Rare visitors/retired:
- AK: Bar, G2 to E4 [F-sharp 4]
- CC: Bar, G2 to E4 or F4 (max. availability is around half-time)
- JE: B, D2-D4
- MEF: S, C4? to A5
- MG: tenor end of Bar, ?? to E4 maybe
- RW: B,something like Ef2-D4
- SH: A, [E3] F3 to D5 [E5]
- JN: Bar, [F2] G2 to F4
- KO: Mz
Discussion:
Equipment:
The AI and Music group has an electronic keyboard they will let us borrow. On it, to get transposition, press the function key, and then the right arrow next to the dial until it says "transpose". Then turning the dial changes the key by a semi-tone at a time.
JC keeps a set of recorders in her office for keyboard emergencies.
Past readings:
I provide a direct link to PDF so there's no hassle about figuring out which edition I mean, but for the WSO links, that means they've gone stale - Google on choralwiki and the composer/title to find them again.
This is nowhere near complete - I'll just have to rely on memory not to bore people, but most people aren't averse to second gos.
Finished:
For three:
- (JC, SH, RP)(GL, JN, MG)(JC, JN/CC, JE) Thomas Weelkes, Come sirrah Jack Ho, Fill some Tobacco http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/Weelkes/ComeSirrah.pdf (Very easy, nice musical evocation of sudden dizziness.)
- (JC, JN, JE) (JC, GL, JN) (JC, AI, RP) Thomas Weelkes (in serious mode for a change), Cease, sorrows, now. ATB http://www.doveton-music.de/PDFfree/WeelkesCeaseSorrowsATB.pdf A:Gs3-C5 T:E3-G4 B:Gs2-C4. Possible as MzMzBar .
- (JC, JN, JE) Weelkes, Since Robin Hood http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/Weelkes/RobinHood.pdf (down a sixth)
- (JC, JN, RP, down an octave, could use another go; JC, AI, JE/CC, down a fourth, complete run) John Willbye, O What Shall I Do http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/Wilbye/OWhatShallIDo-2-57.pdf Original is SAT, dropping a third takes it into SABar OK.
- (JC, GL, JN) http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/duf-aver.pdf, Guillaume Dufay, Ave Regina coelorum,(A:A3-?, T:?-F4, Bar:?-E4). Not a favourite; the chords are a bit spare.
- (JC, JN, JE) Byrd, Quem terra, pontus, aethera. http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/e/e2/BYRD-QUE.pdf. ATB A:C4-D5,T:D3-A4,B:A2-D4 (i.e., some wiggle room downward; some movements limited to T:F4.)
- (JC, JN, JE) Thomas Ravenscroft, Of all the birds that ever I see, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/8/8e/Of_All_The_Birds_That_Ever_I_See.pdf, STB, very short, very easy madrigal.
- (JC, AI, JE/CC) (MEF, JC, RP) Weelkes, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/weel-nig.pdf, The Nightingale, MzMzBar . Mz: D4-D5[E5], Mz: Cs4-D5[E5], Bar: Cs3-D4[E4] - but all the E's are in the same place. The dawn chorus is a singing contest, and Weelkes leaves us in no doubt as to the winner. Everyone will want a go at this one.
- (JC, AI, JE/CC) (JC, AI, RP) Weelkes, Tan Ta Ra Ran Tan Tant http://www.drdrbill.com/downloads/music/Weelkes/Tan-Ta-Ran.pdf. SAT, S:C4-D5, A:A3-C5, T:C3-E4. Very short.
- (MEF, JC, RP) Wilbye, Ye Restless Thoughts, SAB, loose copy from library. I think also in Invitation to Madrigals 1.
- (MEF, JC, JE) Weelkes, Strike it up, tabor (OBEM)
- (MEF, JC, JE) Morley, Though Philomela lost her love (OBEM)
- (MEF, JC, JE) Morley, Whither away so fast (OBEM) Definitely one for the gentlemen.
- (JC, AI, RP) Edmund (S)truges, Enforce yourself as God's own knight, late 14th century, looks different from usual... http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/turg-enf.pdf
- (JC, AI, RP) East, Follow me, sweet love and soul's delight http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/east-fol.pdf
- (MEF, JC, AI) Mendelssohn, Lift Thine Eyes, SSA, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/mendelss/mend-001.pdf
- (MEF, JC, AI) East How Merrily we live, SSA http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/este-how.pdf
- (MEF, JC, AI) (Bring-along) Weelkes, SSA, Four hands, two necks, one wreathing. http://www.solovoces.com/e107_files/downloads/part_sv153.pdf
- (JC/MEF, RP, RW) William Cornish, Mannerly Margery Milk and Ale, http://cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/corn-man.pdf, ABarB , A:G3- , Bar: -D4. Takes some pretty serious programme notes - it's a John Skelton poem.
- (JC, AI, JE) a few of Morley's Canzonets for three voices -look for hardcopies in the folder
- (JC, RP, JE) http://www.mab.jpn.org/musictex/score_lib/gc_agnus.pdf, top has alto A, tenor top note is middle C so happily in range.
- (JC, RP, JE) http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/2/27/Tota_plummer_for_bass.pdf - growly for me, but sort of doable (G's, a few F's; baritone and bass otherwise).
- (JC, RP, JE) ABarB http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/In_natali_Domini_(Anonymous)although I may have transposed it in Lilypond
- (GL, JR, JE) Weelkes but in Italian, I bei ligustri, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/c/cf/Weelk-ibei.pdf
- (GL, JR, JE) some catches from http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/5/5b/Purcell_10Catches.pdf
For four:
- (MEF, JC, AK, RP; at pitch) Tomas Luis de Victoria, 0 Vos Omnes http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/victoria/vict-ov1.pdf
- (MEF, JC, AK/JN, RP; down minor third) (JC, AI, JN, JE) Christobal Morales, Regina Caeli http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/mora-reg.pdf, or Spanish School
- (JC, AI, GL, MG/AK) Felice Anerio, Christus Factus Est http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/aner-chr.pdf
- (JC, GL/MG, JN, JE) William Billings, When Jesus Wept, http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/billings/bill-wjw.pdf. (Round for however many.)
- (MEF, JC, AK, RP) Palestrina, Sicut Cervus http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/pale-sic.pdf
JC: Insufficient time spent, could bring back with a different group.
We got the sense of it; the relief when we got to "reward me" was palpable. This group wants it scheduled again when it's just us four.
- (JC, JN, GL/CC, RP/[JE first page only]). At pitch, TTBB edition. Kontakion for the Dead, Kiev Melody, hard-copies distributed.
- (JC, JN, GL/CC, RP) Martin de Rivaflecha, Salve Regina, http://www.canticum-antiquum.de/scores/Rivaflecha%20-%20Salve%20Regina.pdf A: -E4. At pitch.
- (JC, AI, JE, RP) Palestrina, Hodie Christus Natus Est, http://choralwiki.net/wiki/images/sheet/pal-hodi.pdf SATB, S: C4-C5; A:Bf3-Bf4; T: F3-F4 B: C3-C4; down a third.
- (JC, AI, JE, RP; down a third; partial run) Telemann motet http://icking-music-archive.org/scores/telemann/tel_Selig.pdf SATB T: -E4 B:G2- .
- (JC, GL, JE, RP) Palestrina, Missa iste confessor, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/pal-ist2.pdf, possible (but high!) at pitch with three men (A: -G4, B:G2- ). Kyrie and Gloria only.
- (JC, AI, JN, RP; just a quick run) Adrian Batten, Haste thee, O Lord http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/batt-has.pdf. S: -E5, A:Gs3- A4, T: -E4, B:Fs2- .
- (JC, AI, JN, RP) John Wilbye What needeth all this travail, SATB, completely normal ranges, S: - F5, A: -D5,T:?-G4, B:A2- . http://www.doveton-music.de/PDFfree/WilbyeWhatNeedeth.pdf. A firm favourite.
- (JC, AI, JN/GL, CC/JE and then with part swaps) Adrian Batten, O Praise the Lord, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/batt-opr.pdf. Restricted range - S:D4-C5, A:C4-G4, Bar: C3-D4, B:F2-Bf3 (OBTA is minor third higher).
- (JC, JN, AI, JE, GL, RP, CC in some doubling I can't remember) Bruckner, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/bruckner/bruc-inm.pdf.
- (JC, AI, JN, JE) de Victoria, Ave Maria (Spanish School)
- (JC, AI, JN, JE) Rivaflecha, Anima Mea (Spanish School)
- (guest/guest, guest/JC, JN/GL, JE) Tallis? If you love me (OBTA)
- (JC, AI, GL, JE) (MEF, JC, AK, RP) Bennet, Weep O Mine Eyes (Oxford Book of English Madrigals)
- (JC, AI, GL, JE) Farmer, Fair Phyllis I saw (Oxford Book of English Madrigals)
- (JC, AI, GL, JE) (MEF, JC, AK, RP) Morley, April is in my mistress' face (Oxford Book of English Madrigals)
- (JC, AI, GL, JE) (MEF, JC, AK, RP) Wilbye, Adieu, sweet Amaryllis (Oxford Book of English Madrigals)
- (MEF, JC, JN, JE) Ingegneri, In Monte Oliveti (Italian School)
- (MEF, JC, JN, JE) Marenzio, O Rex Gloriae (Italian School)
- (MEF, JC, RP, JE) Kyrie from Guillaume de Machaut, Messe de Nostre Dame, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/mach-kyr.pdf. It's very early, but the men's parts are nice and low and it looks interestingly different from what we "usually" do. The rest of the mass is at http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Messe_de_Nostre_Dame_%28Guillaume_de_Machaut%29.
- (JC, MEF, RP, JE) Victoria, O Quam Gloriosum (the motet, not the mass) http://www.uma.es/victoria/pdf/O_Quam_Gloriosum_Est_Regnum.pdf, from http://www.uma.es/victoria/partituras.html
- (MEF, JC, RW, RP; at pitch) the other Victoria, 0 Vos Omnes (Spanish School)
-
(JC, AI, GL, RW) Billings, I am the rose of Sharon, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/billings/bill-ros.pdf
- (JC, AI, GL, RW) Byrd, Ave verum corpus, from OBTA.
- (JC, AI, GL, RW) Tye, Give almes of thy goods, from OBTA.
- (JC, AI, GL, RW) Mudd, Let thy merciful ears, from OBTA.
-
(JC, AI, JE, RP) Victoria, O Doctor Optime (about St Augustine) http://www.uma.es/victoria/pdf/O_Doctor_Optime.pdf
-
(JC, AI, JE, RP) Victoria, Gaudent in Caelis http://www.uma.es/victoria/pdf/Gaudent_In_Caelis.pdf
- (MEF, JC, JE, RP) de Victoria, Missa O Quam gloriosum est regnum, from books. If we'd been smart we would have printed the original pitch (minor third lower) from http://www.uma.es/victoria/partituras.html
- (JG, JC, JR, JE) Invitation to Madrigals SATB, first five or six.
- (JG, JC, GL, JE) pretty much all the straight SATB madrigals in Oxford Italian Madrigals, not all with complete success, though.
-
Bach chorales
(From
http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/bwv-254a.pdf)
- 1, 2, 3, 4: MEF, JC, JN, MG, RP, JE (various doublings, at pitch)
- 18: JC, SH/GL, JN, MG (at pitch)
- 31: JC, SH, GL/JN, MG (at pitch)
- 40: JC/SH, GL, JN, MG (at pitch)
For five:
- (JC, SH, JN, AK, RP; at pitch) ALSO (guest, AI and JC, GL, JN, MG; at pitch) Now is the month of Maying http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/c/c3/TUMS_Now_is_the_month_1_0.pdf (Very easy, good coordination exercise.)
- (JC, AI, GL, AK, MG; down a tone)(MEF, JC, JN, RP, JE - down a third; partial run) (MEF, JC, JG, KO, AI, RP, MiG , JE, JR) Byrd, Miserere Mei http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/a/a4/BYRD-MIS.pdf
- (JC, GL, MG, JN, JE; down a fourth) Tallis, Salvator mundi SAATB, S:E4-E5 A:[E3]G3-A4 A:G3-A4 T:D3-F4 B:A2-A3. http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/tal-sal5.pdf. (Large format - best to print two-up.)
- (MEF, AI, JC, JN, RP; at pitch) Thomas Weelkes, Alleluia I heard a voice http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/weel-all.pdf (Contains thunder, and could that be lightning in bar 4?) (NB: for this group transfer bar 25 of the middle voice down one voice, and otherwise take one bar up an octave) Tricky ranges: S ?-G5 A ?-? T D3-A4,Bar ?-? B G2-?
JC: If we get a keyboard, I want this to come back - we kept losing pitch on the chord progressions and we could just use it to reinforce those points.
- (MEF, JC, JN, RP, JE - down a third): Weelkes, All at once well met. http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/2/2a/TUMS_All_at_once_1_0.pdf SSABarB (S:?-E5, S:?-E5, A:G3-G4[A4], Bar:?-E4, B:G2-?)
- (MEF, JC, GL, JE, RP) Carlo Gesualdo, O Vos Omnes http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/gesu-vos.pdf SATTB (sort of), S: Fs4-E5, A: C4-D5, T: [D3,F3]A3-G4 T: D3-E4 B:F2-F3. The middle part could easily be fudged by an alto - two notes below A3, neither of which is crucial to the structure. It reads like nothing I have ever seen before, like de Victoria on acid - stretched and distorted in disturbing ways.
- (JC, AI, JN, GL, JE; down a third) William Byrd, Mass for five voices, http://choralwiki.net/wiki/images/b/b7/BYRD-MA5.pdf, Kyrie and Gloria only. Sometimes S:D4-F5, A:A3-Bf4, T1:D3-G4, T2:D3-F4, B:A2-Bf3. (Some sections, both tenors to A4.)
- (JC, AI, JN, GL, JE/CC) Byrd, Laetentur Coeli http://www.doveton-music.de/PDFfree/ByrdLaetentur.pdf at pitch - SATBarB , S:C4-F5, A:G3-C5,T:Ef3-G4 with the bottom more prominent, Bar:Bf2-Ef4, B:G2-C4. Like previous happy Byrd, it's easy to lose it if you miss an interval, but if you can find the tonic, it soon comes back. (OBTA is tone higher)
- (guest/guest, guest/JC, JN, GL, JE) Tallis, O Nata Lux, http://choralwiki.net/wiki/images/8/8f/TALL-ONA.pdf S:E4-F5 A:Bf3-C5 T:D3-G4 Bar:C3-D4 B:G2-Bf3
- (MEF, JC, GL, RP, JE) Tallis, I call and cry to thee, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/e/e6/Icac.pdf SATBarB , A:G3- ,T: -G4.
- (MEF, JC, GL, RP, JE) Gabrieli, O Rex Gloriae, http://cpdl.org/wiki/images/c/c1/Orgmjg.pdf SATBarB , T: -F4.
- (MEF, JC, AI, JE, REP) Gibbons, The Silver Swan, OBEM.
- (MEF, JC, AI, JE, REP) Thomas Tomkins, Adieu, ye city-prisoning towers. http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/Tompkins/AdieuTowers.pdf. SSATB S:C4-G5, S:C4-G5, A: Af3-Bf4, T:E3-G4, B:F2-D4. Lots of chirping and some tricky time changes.
- ( MEF, JC, AI, GL, RP) (MEF, JC, JG, AI, RP, MiG , JE, JR) Tomkins, When David Heard http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/tomk-whe.pdf On-line edition: S:G4-G5, A1:G3-C5, A2:G3-C5, T:Ef3-G4, B:A2-D4. It's in OBTA at the same pitch but the A2 and T lines are swapped for bars 31-3.
- ( MEF, JC, AI, GL, RP) Morley, Singing Alone, http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/brianrussell/373.pdf
- (JC, AI, GL, RP, JE) Byrd, If women could be fair http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/6/66/BYRD-IFW.pdf Scale figures, but still not that easy - SATBarB , A:F3-G4, T: -F4
- (JC, AI, GL, RP, JE) Tallis, When Jesus went into Simon the Pharisee's house. http://www.choralwiki.org/wiki/images/f/fa/Wjwith.pdf, A:F3 once.
- (JG, JC, GL, JR, JE) Italian Madrigals, just did three or four chosen at random for the correct voices.
For six:
- (MEF, JC, JN, MG, RP, JE) Vignon, vignon, vignette, Orlando di Lasso http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/lass-vig.pdf, at pitch, sight-readable but requires coordination. AATBBB. Translation at http://www.choralwiki.org/wiki/index.php/Vignon%2C_vignon%2C_vignette_%28Orlando_di_Lasso%29.
- (guest, JC, AI, GL, JN, MG; at pitch) (guest, guest, JC/guest, JN, GL, JE) William Byrd, Haec Dies http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/byrd-hae.pdf (SSATTB, no good way out of this voicing without a deep B; down a bit helps Bars singing T.). Ranges: S1:?-F5, S2:?-F5, A:Af3-Bf4, T1: Ef3-Gf4, T2:Ef3-Af4, B:Af2-F4
- (MEF, JC, GL, JE, RP) Durufle, Ubi Caritas (based on Gregorian chant) completely sight-readable and (it turns out) well known anyway. It's six part in places but usually lines run together.
- (JC, AI, JN, GL, RP, JE with CC doubling someone) Parsons, Credo Quod Redemptor http://www.kingcharlessingers.org.uk/editions/parsons_credo_quod.pdf AATBarBarB , A1:Ef4-D5 A2:[F3]Bf3-C5 T:Ef3-F4[G4], Bar:?-Ef4 Bar:?-Df4 B:F2-?. If a Bar takes the third part and doesn't have a G4, swap the 2nd and 3rd lines up a part for bars 20-23.
- (MEF, JC, AI, GL, JE, RP) Richard Dering, Factum est silentium SSATTB OBTA, not on web. S1: E4-Fs5 S2:E4-E5[Fs5] A:Cs4-B4 T1:E3-Fs4[Gs4] T2:E3-E[Fs4] B:Gs2-Cs4.
- (MEF, JC, AI, GL, JE, RP) Weelkes, Hosanna to the Son of David, from OBTA.
- (MEF, JC, AI, GL, RP, RW; first couple of pages only) Andrea Gabrielli, Chi chi li chi, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/gaba-chi.pdf SSATBarB , B:F2-, Bar:-D4 T:-C4[F4]. Sight-readable, but only the bass has a normal clef to read. Highly anthologized but googling suggests its bawdy. I've written out a piano reduction for the first pages; if we decide to finish it pull them out.
- (MEF, JC, AI, GL, RW, RP) Michael East, Poor is the Life, OBEM or http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/East/PoorLife.pdf, SSATBarB , S:G4-G5, S:Fs4-G5, A:C4-Bf4, T:F3-G4, Bar:D3-D4, B:G2-A3 (on-line pitch, not sure the same).
- (MEF, JC, JG, KO, AI, RP, MiG , JE, JR) Gibbons, O Clap Your Hands
Possible future readings:
For three
- William Byrd, Angelus Domini descendit http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/c/cc/BYRD-ANG.pdf Sort of ATT, A: A3-D5, T:E3-Bf4, T:C3-F4.
- Weelkes Those sweet delightful lilies, http://www.icking-music-archive.org/scores/weelkes/Those-sweet-delightful-lilies_Weelkes.pdf. SSA, but I think this is really best suited an octave down for three men.
- TBarB Michel Richard Delalande, Cantate Domino http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/dela-can.pdf. Pretty short and happy - good 3M bring-along?
- BBB Solage, Fumeux fume par fumee http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/sol-fume.pdf. Definitely a bring-along of the puzzle variety. Translation (and hints) at http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/MMDB/composer/H0442001.HTM.
- David Patillo White, The American Star, http://www.drdrbill.com/downloads/music/sacred_harp/American_Star/American_Star.pdf, STB S:G4-Ef5, T:C3-G5, B:G2-Af3. Historical bring-along, but would only take five minutes and four part would be more in keeping with the Sacred Harp tradition.
- Leonel Power (late 14th century), Beata progenies, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/powe-bea.pdf, STBar, S:B3-A4, T:G3-E4, Bar:C3-D4. Very short (matins responsory).
- Robert Jones, Fare well fond youth, http://cpdl.org/wiki/images/a/a5/FareWell.pdf (SAB)
- Palestrina, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/1/1f/JesuRex.pdf, Jesu Rex Admirabilus (SAB)
- Morley's Canzonets for three voice - available as part books but it's a lot of printing unless you just do the ones we'll be singing. It's typeset in lilypond, which means a line or two of latex would give us them in any key we want - but the build procedure (a make file) is labyrinthine so it's more than five minutes, at least for me. http://www.laymusic.org/music/morley/3v/cantus.pdf. http://www.laymusic.org/music/morley/3v/altus.pdf, http://www.laymusic.org/music/morley/3v/bassus.pdf The following are SAB: numbers IX (Deep Lamenting), XIIII (Lady if I through grief), and XVIII (What ayles my darling). (pgs. 20, 21, 30, 31, 38, 39). The rest are SAT, but sometimes pitched very high (tenor and soprano to A).
- [bring-along] Leonel Power (late 14th century), Beata progenies, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/powe-bea.pdf, STBar, S:B3-A4, T:G3-E4, Bar:C3-D4. Very short (matins responsory).
- http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/e/e5/Wesley_behold_how_good.pdf Behold, how good and joyful (Samuel Wesley) if we fancy something a bit later than usual. Need to check again, think it was ATB.
- ABarB once transposed - http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Nobis_Est_Natus_(Anonymous) Attempted once, discovered I'd put the bass in the wrong key, need to rerender from lilypond.
- John Dunstable, Quam pulchra est. http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/b/bb/Quam_Pulcra_Est.pdf - could be three men, really, (A/T)BarB works.
- Din-don-dan, Velthur Tognoni, http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/d/d2/Togn-Din.pdf, hot off the presses, I think, and I haven't had a chance to score-read it to see what it's like. (If AI's orchestra does new pieces, I suppose we could too.)
- http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/f/f7/Cal-pea.pdf Calcott, Peace to the souls of heroes. It's a glee (whatever that is). What looks like a piano reduction disagrees with the voice parts in bar 3, so watch out. Otherwise, looks more fun than musical.
- Byrd, Ave maris stella, http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/c/ce/BYRD-AMS.pdf. Ranges are a bit wide and JN would have some G's and an A, otherwise looks normal.
- TTB A solis ortus cardine Gilles Binchois, http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/brianrussell/522.pdf
There's only one three left in OBEM that we haven't sung: Weelkes, Thus sings my dearest jewel (SAB).
For four
- Tomas Luis de Victoria, Ave Maria http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/victoria/vic-ave1.pdf SATB, T: -Fs4
- Bateson, if love be blind http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/Bateson/IfBlind.pdf
- Bateson, Phyllis Farewell http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/Bateson/PhyllisFarewell.pdf
- More Bach chorales, from http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/bwv-254a.pdf or elsewhere. Of these, if we have three men bounded by G2-G4, the following require no adjustment apart from transposition: 5, 18, 40; the following lose some runs or can be adjusted without changing any chord inversions: 3, 10, 35; the following are almost fits: 22[F2-G4], 47[last chord E2, hard to get around]. Based on a quick scan, could be wrong! If 2W, 2M, choose anything and adjust as we go. NB: some of these are so well-known we're sure to have at least heard them before.
- Christobal Morales, Peccantem me quotidie, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/c/c4/Morales_Peccantem.pdf S:F4-Ef5, A: -Bf4, T: -G4, B: Bf2- ; possible down with three men.
- William Billings, Washington-Street (Now shall my inward Joys arise and burst into a song) http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/4/46/Bil-washstr.pdf. An easy read, restricted range, SATB, S:F4-F5 A:C4-Bf4, T:F3-F4, B:C3-Bf3.
GL: for an alternative interpretation, look here :)
- Giles Farnaby, Sometime she would, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/4/42/Giles_Farnaby_-_Sometime_She_Would.pdf - very high S: - G5, A:Bf3- , T:-A4,B:C3- , but looks like an interesting piece if we're willing to transpose down a third.
- Difficult Bruckner. http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/bruckner/bruc-006.pdf. (Mostly four with A divisi in a few points - and S: -A5). This looks difficult to sight read but we look agreed to me that we're interested to try it. MEF is a Bruckner fan; save for a week with her and JE.
- Timothy Swan, Why do we mourn departed friends, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/a/a1/ChinaSwan.pdf. Programme notes at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Swan.
- Byrd, I thought that love had been a boy, http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/1/15/BYRD-ITH.pdf - looks straightforward, and very typical.
- Gibbons, What is our life, http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/gib-what.pdf
- Byrd,Though Amarillis Dance in Green, http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/7/7e/BYRD-THO.pdf
- Palestrina, Ego sum panis, JE recommends for a week he's not here, http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/pale-ego.pdf
Three girls and a boy
- Weelkes, the Three Virgin Nymphs, for three sopranos and a bass ([in]famous and somewhat unusual). The female ranges are too high for us but the parts aren't hard to read - we'll have to transpose and change a few of the bass notes (ruining the best of the word painting, but never mind). There's a loose copy at the library and some paid download sites with it.
- Farnaby, Among the Daffadillies, http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/Farnaby/AmongDaffadillies.pdf, SSAB, at pitch. Along the same lines as the Weelkes, but written very differently!
- Farnaby, The Wavering Planet, http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/EDITING/WaveringPlanet.pdf, SSAB. This really looks better suited to SATB lower; at pitch is high for the S but down a tone is low for A.
- Orlando di Lasso, http://www.kantoreiarchiv.de/archiv/a_cappella/motets/lassus/alleluia_laus/sssb.pdf
- http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/anon-ala.pdf
For five
- (mostly four, A splits) Mundy, O Lord The Maker of All Thing http://www.bcchoralfed.com/pdf/Mundy.pdf
- Byrd, If women could be fair http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/6/66/BYRD-IFW.pdf Scale figures, but still not that easy - SATBarB but A:F3-G4, T: -F4 suggests taking it down with four men would be a better fit for us.
- Byrd, Justorem Animae http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/a/a3/BYRD-JUS.pdf [S F4-F5, S E4-F5, A A3-D5, T E2-Bf4 (!), B A2-D3]
- Byrd, Diffusa est gratia http://www.kingcharlessingers.org.uk/editions/bryddiffusa.pdf S ?-E-flat [F], A G3-B-flat4, T -G4[A-flat], Bar ?-Eflat4, Bass G2-?
- (old) Taverner Dum Transisset Sabbatum http://www.kingcharlessingers.org.uk/editions/Taverner_Dumtransisset.pdf SATBarB S:Fs4-G5, A:A3-D5, T: -G4, B:G2- . Different writing than usual, might slow us down.
- Adrian Batten, Hear my prayer O God http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/a/a7/Bat-hea.pdf. "SAATB", S:D4-D5, A1:D3-G4, A2:D3-A4, T:C3-D4, B:F2-Bf3 but it looks interesting and some line-swapping between the second and third parts will fudge a few of the range issues (not all). Worth a try with people doing the best they can - or up with altos.
- Orlando Gibbons, Dainty Fine Bird, http://www.oldmusicproject.com/madrigalia/Gibbons/DaintyFineBird.pdf, SSTTB, S:D4-G5, S:D4-G5, T:E3-A4, B:A2-C4. In OBEM, same pitch.
- Tallis, Blessed by thy name, http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/e/e3/Bbtn.pdf, SATBarB , A:G3- ,T: -G4.
- Tallis, When Jesus went into Simon the Pharisee's house. http://www.choralwiki.org/wiki/images/f/fa/Wjwith.pdf, A:F3 once.
For six
- Gibbons, O Lord in Thy Wrath SSAATB Not on web. S1,2:F4-F5 A1,2:F3-Bf4 T:Bf2-F4 B:Af2-C4 If we get desperate, down a minor third with four men, or down a second with three men and an actual alto (not a mezzo).
- Byrd, Sing joyfully SSAATB OBTA http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/byrd-sin.pdf S1:F4-F5 S2:Ef4-F5 A1:G3-Bf4 A2:[F3]Af3-Bf4 T:Ef3-F4 B:G2-C4. There aren't many G2's, but they're quite important. Transposition makes SSATTB achievable.
- John Ward, Come Sable Night OBEM or http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/1/1b/Ward_Come_sable_night.pdf SSATTB, S:F4-G5, S: Ef4-G5, A:G3-D5, T:Fs3-G4, T:Ef3-A4, B:G2-C4.
For seven:
JE: I have no objection to modern music, but I do not think that this particular piece is very well suited to a small ensemble. The extremes, both of range and dynamics, and the ultra-homophonic texture (manifested both in the haphazard divisi and the frequent parallelisms) make it much more appropriate for a choir of 40+.
For eight:
Unformed ideas:
http://icking-music-archive.org/ByComposer/Schuetz.php for some six part that doesn't require quite so extreme ranges?
http://www.kingcharlessingers.org.uk/editions.html has some things that might be suitable for larger sets - I haven't had a chance to assess the ranges yet.
Maybe some William Billings,
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/William_Billings,
http://www.amaranthpublishing.com/billings.htm - Chester is most famous, David's Lament is the only one I've sung, Jargon is most dissonant.
Composers I don't think we've tried yet that are anthologized: Bennet, Cavendish, Ward, Farmer, Morley, Vautor, Kirbye, Ramsey, Gibbons, Campian, Peerson, Dowland, Ford, Jones, Pilkington, Whythorne.
For an all-male week, the bring-along could maybe be a catch (but I'm not smart enough to tell ahead which ones might be really rude). Purcell's are supposedly best known; there's a bunch
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/5/5b/Purcell_10Catches.pdf There aren't good performance instructions in the set - basically, they're rounds with a twist. When the first voice reaches the second line, the second voice starts up (these are strictly rendered so that the systems make sense that way).
JE says Ockeghem is nice and low. I wonder if there's other useful stuff at
http://www.uma.es/victoria/partituras.html
Library sets:
I'm thinking of a new strategy - which is picking up complete sets from the library at Monday lunchtime and returning them the next day. Here's just some notes about what they have that's easy to get.
Motets:
- Italian School (4 copies) M2082 Ita. All four parts and reasonable SATB ranges.
- Spanish School (3 copies) M2082 Spa. All four parts and reasonable SATB ranges. Some have tenor parts that are high enough they could be read by an alto: Ortiz, Janitor Caeli; Morales, Simile est Regnum; maybe JE's recommended Esquivel, Ego Sum Panis Vivus.
- Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems (10 copies) M2060 Oxf.; 4-8 parts, often with more higher voices than lower.
Madrigals:
- Oxford book of English madrigals. (8 copies) M1579 Oxf, table of contents at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oxford_Book_of_English_Madrigals. Plenty of (mostly?) 4-6 part madrigals with a variety of voicings; contains some of our favourites.
- Oxford book of Italian madrigals (7 copies) M1579 Oxf. - did once.
- Penguin Book of English madrigals for four voices. (9 copies) M1579 Pen.
- Invitation to Madrigals 1 - four copies at M1578 Inv.
Other:
- Scholars book of glees - 5 part SATBarB M1579 or thereabouts, maybe 8 copies
- some other book of 4 part glees, also plenty of copies
- Carols for choirs 1 (at least 8 copies) and 2 (10 copies) M2065 Car. (I remember one of these had some interesting French carols in it, but haven't checked which one - and they're popular so we'd have to do them out of season.) They are entirely four part. There is an Oxford Book of Carols that looks interesting in a Cecil Sharp kind of way but I don't know how many copies we can scare up.