American Idol may be in its last season, but the audience voting method that it popularized to American audiences is alive and well…in choral music?
Yes, you read that correctly. YourClassical.org is conducting a poll of Internet audiences’ favorite pieces of choral music, with Minneapolis-based VocalEssence to perform the top 15 picks from the 100-piece list at its April 22 concert. Voting is free and online, and runs through 11:59 p.m. CST on Monday, Jan. 18, 2016.
The 100 prospective pieces are:
- Allegri, Gregorio, MISERERE
- Argento, Dominick, GLORIA (from “The Masque of Angels”)
- Bach, J. S., CRUCIFIXUS (from “B Minor Mass”)
- Bach, J. S., JESU, JOY OF MAN’S DESIRING (from Cantata 147)
- Bach, J. S., SINGET DEM HERRN
- Bach, J. S., OPENING CHORUS (from “St. Matthew Passion”)
- Bach, PDQ, MY BONNY LASS SHE SMELLETH
- Barber, Samuel, AGNUS DEI
- Barber, Samuel, SURE ON THIS SHINING NIGHT
- Barnett, Carol, GLORIA (from “Bluegrass Mass’)
- Berger, Jean, THE EYES OF ALL WAIT UPON THEE
- Berlioz, Hector, THE SHEPHERD’S FAREWELL (from “L’Enfance du Christ”)
- Bernstein, Leonard, MAKE OUR GARDEN GROW (from “Candide”)
- Biebl, Franz, AVE MARIA
- Billings, William, WHEN JESUS WEPT
- Brahms, Johannes, SCHAFFE IN MIR, GOTT, EIN REIN HERZ
- Brahms, Johannes, HOW LOVELY IS THY DWELLING PLACE (from “A German Requiem”)
- Britten, Benjamin, THIS LITTLE BABE (from “A Ceremony of Carols”)
- Britten, Benjamin, WOLCUM YULE (from “A Ceremony of Carols”)
- Bruckner, Anton, OS JUSTI
- Burleigh, Harry, T., MY LORD WHAT A MORNIN’
- Busto, Javier, AVE MARIA
- Chesnokov, Pavel, SALVATION IS CREATED
- Christiansen, F. Melius, BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR
- Christiansen, F. Melius, PRAISE TO THE LORD
- Clausen, René, ALL THAT HATH LIFE AND BREATH
- Clausen, René, SET ME AS A SEAL
- Copland, Aaron, AT THE RIVER
- Copland, Aaron, CHING-A-RING-CHAW
- Copland, Aaron, SIMPLE GIFTS
- Copland, Aaron, THE PROMISE OF LIVING (from “The Tender Land”)
- Dawson, William, EV’RY TIME I FEEL THE SPIRIT
- Dawson, William, SOON AH WILL BE DONE
- Dickau, David, IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE
- Duruflé, Maurice, SANCTUS (from “Requiem”)
- Duruflé, Maurice, UBI CARITAS
- Erb, James, SHENANDOAH
- Fauré, Gabriel, CANTIQUE DE JEAN RACINE
- Fauré, Gabriel, IN PARADISUM (from “Requiem”)
- Fauré, Gabriel, SANCTUS (from “Requiem”)
- Flummerfelt, Joseph, DANNY BOY
- Foster, Stephen, BEAUTIFUL DREAMER
- Gawthrop, Daniel, SING ME TO HEAVEN
- Hairston, Jester, AMEN
- Hampton, Keith, PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME
- Handel, G. F., FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN (from “Messiah”)
- Handel, G. F., HALLELUJAH CHORUS (from “Messiah”)
- Handel, G. F., HALLELUJAH, AMEN (from “Judas Maccabaeus”)
- Handel, G. F., THINE IS THE GLORY/SEE THE CONQUERING HERO (from “Judas Maccabeus”)
- Haydn, Franz Joseph, THE HEAVENS ARE TELLING (from “The Creation”)
- Hogan, Moses, ELIJAH ROCK
- Hogan Moses, MY SOUL’S BEEN ANCHORED IN THE LORD
- Hogan, Moses, THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
- Holst, Gustav, AVE MARIA
- Larsen, Libby, BEAUTIFUL STAR
- Lauridsen, Morten, O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM
- Lauridsen, Morten, SURE ON THIS SHINING NIGHT
- Leontovych, Mykola, CAROL OF THE BELLS
- Luboff, Norman, DEEP RIVER
- Luboff, Norman, WADE IN THE WATER
- Manz, Paul, E’EN SO, LORD JESUS, COME QUICKLY
- Mendelssohn, Felix, HEAR MY PRAYER (OH, FOR THE WINGS OF A DOVE)
- Mendelssohn, Felix, HE WATCHING OVER ISRAEL (from “Elijah”)
- Mendelssohn, Felix, LIFT THINE EYES (from “Elijah”)
- Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, AVE VERUM CORPUS
- Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, LACRIMOSA (from “Requiem”)
- Orff, Carl, O FORTUNA (from “Carmina Burana”)
- Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da, SICUT CERVUS
- Parker, Alice/Robert Shaw, AMAZING GRACE
- Parker, Alice/Robert Shaw, HARK, I HEAR THE HARPS ETERNAL
- Paulus, Stephen, PILGRIM’S HYMN
- Paulus, Stephen, THE ROAD HOME
- Poston, Elizabeth, JESUS CHRIST THE APPLE TREE
- Rachmaninoff, Sergei, BOGORODITSE DEVO
- Ray, Robert, HE NEVER FAILED ME YET
- Rutter, John, ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL
- Rutter, John, FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH
- Rutter, John, WHAT SWEETER MUSIC
- Saint-Saëns, Camille, PRAISE YE THE LORD (TOLLITE HOSTIAS)
- Shaw, Martin, WITH A VOICE OF SINGING
- Stainer, John, GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD (from “The Crucifixion”)
- Stroope, Z. Randall, HOMELAND (based on Gustav Holst “The Planets – Jupiter”)
- Tallis, Thomas, IF YE LOVE ME
- Tavener, John, SONG FOR ATHENE
- Tavener, John, THE LAMB
- Thomas, André, KEEP YOUR LAMPS
- Thompson, Randall, ALLELUIA
- Thompson, Randall, CHOOSE SOMETHING LIKE A STAR
- Thompson, Randall, THE GOD WHO GAVE US LIFE (from “Testament of Freedom”)
- Thompson, Randall, THE LAST WORDS OF DAVID
- Ticheli, Frank, THERE WILL BE REST
- Vaughan Williams, Ralph, O TASTE AND SEE
- Victoria, Tomás Luis de, O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM
- Victoria, Tomás Luis de, O VOS OMNES
- Vivaldi, Antonio, DOMINE, FILI UNIGENITE
- Whalum, Wendell, BETELEHEMU
- Whitacre, Eric, LUX AURUMQUE
- Whitacre, Eric, SLEEP
- Whitacre, Eric, WATER NIGHT
- Wilburg, Mack, COME, THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING
When asked to comment, the Twin Cities Arts’ Reader‘s Basil Considine nominated 15 pieces from the list, adding, “The limited representation of women composers amongst the list is unfortunate – I hope they follow up with a list of 100 contemporary choral works that draws more on the last 60 years of women writing for choirs.” His list is:
- Bach, PDQ, MY BONNY LASS SHE SMELLETH
- Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da, SICUT CERVUS
- Haydn, Franz Joseph, THE HEAVENS ARE TELLING (from “The Creation”)
- Mendelssohn, Felix, LIFT THINE EYES (from “Elijah”)
- Larsen, Libby, BEAUTIFUL STAR
- Lauridsen, Morten, O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM
- Biebl, Franz, AVE MARIA
- Duruflé, Maurice, UBI CARITAS
- Erb, James, SHENANDOAH
- Brahms, Johannes, HOW LOVELY IS THY DWELLING PLACE (from “A German Requiem”)
- Fauré, Gabriel, CANTIQUE DE JEAN RACINE
- Berlioz, Hector, THE SHEPHERD’S FAREWELL (from “L’Enfance du Christ”)
- Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, LACRIMOSA (from “Requiem”)
- Allegri, Gregorio, MISERERE
- Copland, Aaron, THE PROMISE OF LIVING (from “The Tender Land”)
