Discover the right music for your choir with help from the Choral Review Service. Highlighting songs of varying difficulty, instrumentation and style, the Choral Review Service will introduce you to inspiring, seasonal choral works from respected liturgical composers three times per year. Below are just a few examples of the music within Choral Packet 115 with titles for Lent, Easter and general use, plus a detailed description and insight on how to use each piece.
Ave Regina Caelorum
Alvez Barkoskie IV
Voicing: SATB
Difficulty level: Medium
Suitable for Marian-themed liturgies and of medium difficulty, Barkoskie’s adaptation of this beloved chant brings out its regal character through a SATB arrangement in which the melody shifts organically between voices. His sensitive use of meter remains true to the chant’s natural flow and the emergent harmony likewise flows from the melodic contour of the chant. The piece captures the essence of the text, opening with a reverent acknowledgment of Mary’s queenship then gradually developing in texture and harmony before concluding with a prayerful supplication for her intercession.
Drop, Drop, Slow Tears
Brendan Lowery
Voicing: SATB, Soprano Solo, and Baritone Solo
Difficulty level: Medium
This setting is especially suited to Good Friday, Palm Sunday, and other Passion-focused liturgies or devotional services. Contemporary harmonic language is employed to bring a renewed perspective to this traditional 17th century text. Scored for a cappella SATB choir with soprano and baritone soloists, it is intentionally unaccompanied, in tribute to the Church’s tradition of leaving the organ silent from the Gloria on Holy Thursday until the Gloria during the Easter Vigil.
Saving Light
Joel Blaize, OSB
Instrumentation: Organ
Voicing: SAB
Difficulty level: Easy/Medium
This gentle and lyrical setting for SAB choir and organ reflects on the salient themes of Psalm 27: comfort, light, hope, trust, and prayer to God. Open harmonies evoke early American hymnody, lending a sense of warmth and timelessness, and the well-crafted organ part gracefully supports the choir. Suitable for celebrations when Psalm 27 is used liturgically, especially in the Lent and Easter seasons, but also All Souls, OCIA, Baptism, Rite of Penance (Reconciliation), certain Sundays of Ordinary Time, and funerals.
The Crown of Roses
Luke Mayernik
Voicing: SATB
Difficulty level: Medium
Dedicated to his late brother, Mayernik’s short choral work takes its text from a poem famously set to music by Tchaikovsky. Mayernik’s entirely new musical setting conveys a compelling sense of Jesus’ strength and wisdom set against humanity’s often confused and conflicting intentions; the piece’s complex harmonies and voicings often reflect the text’s themes of suffering caused by human cruelty, whereas the solo sections represent the simple and abiding love of Jesus.
Pueblo Mío/O My People
Emilio Vicente Matéu
Instrumentation: Keyboard, Guitar, and Solo Instrument
Voicing: SATB
Difficulty level: Easy/Medium
The Reproaches have been sung for many centuries during the Adoration of the Cross at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday. This setting is written in a refrain-verse format with options for metrical or chanted verses. The melody of both the refrain and the verses is skillfully written, flowing beautifully under the text. Presented bilingually, this is a perfect choice for those parishes welcoming different communities at their celebration.
We Belong to You, O Lord/Somos Tuyos, Oh Señor
Anna Betancourt
Instrumentation: Keyboard, Guitar, Solo Instrument in C, and Solo Instrument in B-Flat
Voicing: SATB and Descant
Difficulty level: Easy/Medium
Written especially for OCIA candidates, for general use and for specific instances such as the Scrutinies, the accessible melody and flexible arrangement of this bilingual song reflect the universal nature of the call to faith and subsequent conversion journey. English, Spanish, and bilingual options for the refrain make this easy to sing with various combinations of verses. Scored for SATB choir with descant and the usual keyboard and guitar accompaniments, additional parts for solo instruments are included for C or B-flat instruments.
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Choral Review Service
These songs can be found in Choral Packet 115 from the Choral Review Service. Offering music for traditional and contemporary choirs, children’s voices and intercultural ensembles, the Choral Review Service is the best way to find something new for your choir and community.