John 8

With a text from Psalm 80:2, this a cappella piece is traditionally used on the third Sunday of Advent - the Gaudete or Rejoicing Sunday. The beginning quotes the "Alleluia" from the original chant, and

This setting of a Yeats poem is light, playful, and delightful. It describes the relationship between the Cat (called Minnaloushe) and the Moon. This distant yet powerful attraction might parallel Yeats's

Crossing the Bar, one of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's most famous poems, is set as a journey. This journey begins at sunset in a minor mode and finishes in the relative major after having crossed the

This brief but poignant a cappella work begins with a melding of the music and text in a bittersweet way. The music grows more animated as it progresses, adding quite a bit of dissonance to the harmonic

From Due South, one in a series of four choral suites that explore the cultural and natural wonders of various regions of North America. This movement is the short opening of this suite of five

Written for the Jacksonville Children's Chorus, this SSAA setting of a Sara Teasdale text begins in unison. This verse structure is followed by a refrain and a canon between the two voices on the text, "The

The Christina Rossetti text which beautifully personifies the concept of memory sometimes coming back to you in dreams is paired with a lovely choral texture and a sensitive piano accompaniment that will

This arrangement of one of the most beloved spirituals begins with some scat singing in all the voices before the altos and sopranos begin the first refrain. The style shifts to driving straight eighth

A lovely piece for women's choir with oboe obbligato. The text is taken from Barter, the first in a set of Pulitzer Prize-winning poems from American poet Sara Teasdale. Despite the poet's history

In this fourth movement from For a Breath of Ecstasy, the instrumental introduction leads to a completely a cappella setting of this Sara Teasdale text. This movement is slow, lyrical and hymn

With texts taken from the Kokin Wakashu, a collection of Japanese waka poetry compiled from various poets in the early tenth century, these four short songs of spring show the passing of the season from the

This setting of the Mother Goose nursery rhyme is dangerously close to a groovy choral vamp! The scoring is for mixed chorus and jazz trio, but it can certainly be performed with just piano. The

The melody has a simple innocence, but the harmony provides great warmth and subtlety in this touching love song by Clara Schumann arranged for choral ensembles. Set in a modified strophic form, the setting

Text painting abounds in this setting of a Dickinson poem concerning the brief time gifted to our human condition. With its sensitive text setting, interesting harmonic palette, and atypical accompaniment,

Commissioned by the Minnesota Valley Men's Chorale, this work should be sung with rhythmic intensity and a growing sense of urgency. The chorale that concludes the work should be sung with a sense of unity

A lovely and very accessible arrangement of the traditional British folk song for women's voices. Set in minor with a melancholy feel and well crafted harmonic part writing. Solo or soli opportunities in

Tim Sarsany offers us a setting of Psalm 96: 11-13 which begins calmly and briefly sung in Hebrew, then quickly takes off with exciting, syncopated rhythms, joyfully propelling the music until its

The text is by Rabindranath Tagore, a native of Calcutta whose poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial, but not well known outside Bengal. The mystical and quiet opening gives way

Maya Angelou's poem Touched by an Angel is elegantly represented by the treatment of the text by the voice and the expressiveness of the piano accompaniment. The vocal writing successfully tracks

The composer wrote this song during the time that he was awaiting his first grandchild, because he did not yet know what her name would be, she could only be "Little One." She has heard the

This gentle spiritual from St. Helena Island is rich with images of the manger and the star illuminating the skies over Bethlehem. Set with interesting harmonies and cluster chords, this is a challenging

Brahms' best songs are small, priceless jewels. They are unusual, mysterious, inventive, bass heavy, uncomplicated, melodious, and they are glorious creations! Op. 63, No. 8 O wusst' ich doch den Weg

Based on an Inuit proverb, this reflective piece sets a mood of contemplation by using a leisurely text rhythm and lush chords. The proverb's counterpoint to the title is that stars are our