# Recommendation of works to a beginner choir



## rafhaturati (Aug 1, 2017)

Hey everybody! 

We are starting a new project with a new choir with beginners.
I'm desperately looking for easy and nice sounding a capella music for new choirs. Could you guys recommend me some works? It doesn't matter the period.

Thanks!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

rafhaturati said:


> Hey everybody!
> 
> We are starting a new project with a new choir with beginners.
> I'm desperately looking for easy and nice sounding a capella music for new choirs. Could you guys recommend me some works? It doesn't matter the period.
> ...


Hello rafhaturati, don't you have a conductor? I am asking because my mother sings in a choirs and the conductor mostly decide the repertoire, according to the voices available.


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb does have keyboard accompaniment but could be done a capella.


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

rafhaturati said:


> Hey everybody!
> 
> We are starting a new project with a new choir with beginners.
> I'm desperately looking for easy and nice sounding a capella music for new choirs. Could you guys recommend me some works? It doesn't matter the period.
> ...


rafhaturati, you don't say if it doesn't matter which language! If English, google should help. But here are some ideas:

Negro spirituals, e.g.:

Go Down Moses
Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho
Deep River
Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Ezekiel Saw the Wheel

Some hymn-type songs, e.g.:

The Gift to be Simple
How Can I Keep from Singing

Folksongs - Irish, English, American, Russian....a rich fund and too many to mention. Shenandoah might be a place to start.

Arrangements of Latin motets. There are some easy arrangements (and, as always, Google is your friend)

There are some English madrigals of the 16th and 17th centuries that are fairly simple and very beautiful (but they require perhaps too much vocal discipline for absolute beginners).

There are loads of arrangements of popular music from the second half of the 20th century. Personal opinion: the popular songs of the first half of the 20th century are of better quality - Kern and Gershwin for instance - and they don't sound like something your grandparents would want to sing along with.


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## rafhaturati (Aug 1, 2017)

Pugg said:


> Hello rafhaturati, don't you have a conductor? I am asking because my mother sings in a choirs and the conductor mostly decide the repertoire, according to the voices available.


Hello! Thanks for answering! Yes, we do have a conductor and I'm actually helping him on that. He has loads of works for new choirs, but all of these songs have already been used by our current choir. That's why we are looking for new things.


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## rafhaturati (Aug 1, 2017)

jenspen said:


> rafhaturati, you don't say if it doesn't matter which language! If English, google should help. But here are some ideas:
> 
> Negro spirituals, e.g.:
> 
> ...


Hello! Thanks for answering. We've chosen 3 songs in latin, I guess, and we're currently looking for something in french or german.

I agree with you, these madrigals require maybe more than the singers might have now.
Thanks for the tips, though


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

rafhaturati said:


> Hello! Thanks for answering. We've chosen 3 songs in latin, I guess, and we're currently looking for something in french or german.
> 
> I agree with you, these madrigals require maybe more than the singers might have now.
> Thanks for the tips, though


OK. Your choir is more accomplished than I suspected! How about reminding your conductor of:






and






or






You choir sounds like fun.


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## rafhaturati (Aug 1, 2017)

jenspen said:


> OK. Your choir is more accomplished than I suspected! How about reminding your conductor of:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow! Those were awesome recommendations! Ce moi de may fits perfectly to them!
Thank you 

I just don't get who's the composer of the third song


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

rafhaturati said:


> Wow! Those were awesome recommendations! Ce moi de may fits perfectly to them!
> Thank you
> 
> I just don't get who's the composer of the third song


"Am Brunnen vor dem Tor" is Schubert's "Der Lindenbaum" arrannged by Silcher (I think). And it is Silcher who composed the melody for Heine's poem "Ich weiss nicht was sol es bedeuten", which was the second song in the third link.

Hope that helps.


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