Willow Song study files

Here are the study files for The Willow Song:

Soprano Part
Alto Part
Tenor Part
Bass Part

William Byrd Mass for 4 Voices: Kyrie

In preparation for our fall retreat, we are going to learn the first movement (Kyrie eleison) from William Byrd's Mass for 4 voices.

Here is the music in pdf form.  Please print it and put in your black binder. 

Here is a link to midi study files for each voice part. It is in the same key as your version.  If those files don't work, here are links to practice files on YouTube: soprano, alto, tenor, bass

There are dozens of YouTube videos of ensembles performing this music.  You can't get any better than the Tallis Scholars' version.

Choir Retreat 2013

Our Fall Choir Retreat is coming soon! OSU Choral Director Steve Zielke will be joining us on Saturday, September 14, from 9:30-1:30.  Lunch is provided.  This event is required for all members of the ensemble.

Awesome Upcoming Events in Fall

Just wanted to alert you all to what we have in store when the year begins.

Saturday, September 11: Chamber Singers retreat (9:00 am-3 pm) Guest clinician Dr. Tina Bull, from OSU...and maybe others. Lunch provided.

Wednesday, September 15: 1- 2 pm Guest appearance by singer/songwriter David Wilcox, who is going to play and talk about creativity and songwriting. His manager Tom Simonson will talk about breaking into the music business, too. This is an early release day so everyone can attend without missing class.

October TBA: guest appearance by the Portland supergroup Vagabond Opera.

Music for Study #5

Our song this time is Love, the second song in a suite of three love songs by the English composer Edward Elgar. For those who went on tour last time, you might remember staying and performing in Malvern, Elgar's home town.

Love is in A-A-B-B-A form. All of the music for the A sections is basically the same. We are eventually going to learn and perform all three songs from the series.

This will be the last piece to learn for the summer. Hope everyone has been working on the others! (I'm using a different file host for the audio this time; hope it works better; apologies for any unwanted advertising)

• Love--pdf of the score
• Love--audio of piece
• Love--soprano part
• Love--alto part
• Love--tenor part
• Love--bass part

Music for Study #4

I don't actually have the following printed music for you, since the published copies won't be available until school starts and it's not public domain. However, I have provided links if you'd like to order yourself a copy ahead of time (I believe each one is around $2.00), I will credit your tour account when you show me your copy.

These are two pieces by Morton Lauridsen. Lauridsen was born and educated in the northwest but has been teaching composition for many years at USC. The pieces are two movements from his choir cycle, Nocturnes. They are incredibly beautiful pieces. The notes are not difficult, but there is great depth and technique required to do them justice.

The first piece Soneto de la Noche (Sonnet of the Night) is a setting of a poem by the Spanish poet Pablo Neruda. The second song is Sure on this Shining Night, from a poem by James Agee.

If you want to download the music on iTunes, the recordings by Conspirare are the best (especially their version of Sure); another good one is on the album Laurisden: Nocturnes.

Videos: (these are all good, if you find some others, please post to the list)

Sure on this shining night
Sure on this shining night
Sure on this shining night

Soneto de la noche
Soneto de la noche
Soneto de la noche

Order the music

Soneto de la noche
Sure on this Shining Night

Music for Study #3: The White Rose

The White Rose is an old folk song from Cornwall. Here is a bit of history of it. It should not be confused with the "white rose" Nazi resistance movement of WW2.

During the events of 9/11, Cornish-born Rick Rescorla saved dozens of lives and was one of the true heroes of the day. He is buried in Cornwall. At his memorial, the White Rose was sung.

I have arranged the song for SATB and piano. Most of the parts divide. You should learn all the divisions of your part. Although there are few YouTube videos of the song, there is a recording on iTunes by a Cornish folk singer named Sue White.

Here are the files you need:

• The Score (.pdf)
• MIDI of the entire song
• Soprano Part
• Alto Part
• Tenor Part
• Bass Part