Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia, Gem of the Ocean | SA or TB | Two-part a cappella arrangement for this traditional patriotic song. Appropriate for any patriotic occasion of general concern. Easy. |
| Didn't my Lord Deliver Daniel? | SAB or SATB | A cappella arrangement of a powerful spiritual. Highly rhythmical with colorful harmonies. Especially nice bass line. Medium difficulty, accessible by advanced junior high choirs and general high school choirs. |
| Dry Bones | 2-part | A delightful and light-hearted work for young voices, (with optional 3rd part) piano, and Orff percussion. Incorporates quotations from classical pieces, such as Carnival of the Animals, Pictures at an Exhibition, and other pieces school children should be familiar with. Makes a great encore number. Easy. |
| The Fishing Hole | SATB | A poignant piece recalling days of carefree childhood and sibling relationships. May also be used for reinforcing sightreading skills in advanced choirs. Medium difficulty. |
| Fly Away | SSA | A lovely, peaceful work about thoughts of home, it incorporates an interesting dialog between the voices. Moderately easy. A cappella. |
| Gee, but I want to Go Home | TB | Easy, a cappella arrangement of this World War I song. A light-hearted piece that lends itself easily to choreography. Excellent for jr. high boys. |
| God Gave Me a Voice | SATB | An a cappella work of changing color and texture, written in honor of the choral directors of Texas. Occasional divisi in soprano and alto sections. Moderately difficult. |
| Goodbye, My Lover | TB or TTB | Lyrical arrangement of a beautiful sea song. Piano accompaniment is highly accessible. Moderately easy; excellent for young choirs. |
| Hodie, Christus Natus Est | SATB | A rather challenging, highly rhythmical and spirited piece. SATB with divisi in all voices. Piano accompaniment. For advanced high school and adult choirs. |
| Hope | SSA | Lyrical setting of a poem by Margaret Sangster about finding the edelweiss amid Alpine snows and storms. Moderately easy, limited ranges. A cappella. |
| Long, Long Trail | TB | Harmonically satisfying arrangement of this song from the early 1900's. A cappella. Moderately easy |
| The Moon | SATB | A quasi-impressionistic original piece with close parallel harmonies and piano accompaniment. At times the altos are divisi. Sweeping melodic lines in all voices. Moderately difficult. |
| Music Lives | SAB or SATB | An a cappella piece describing the lingering of the music after the performance has ended. Dedicated to the memory of Bill Gorham. Medium difficulty. |
| Preacher and the Bear | TTB or TTBB | A humorous divertissement on the American folk song. Excellent light-hearted encore number. Moderately difficult. |
| Scarborough Faire | SA | Treble voices accompanied by two recorders (or flutes). The haunting melody, open harmonies, and polyphony transport the listener into the Middle Ages. Moderately easy. |
| She Walks in Beauty | SATB | Lyrical setting of Lord Byron's romanic poem. The section consists of broadly sweeping polyphonic phrases. The homophonic B section involves a dialog between the men and the ladies of the chorus. Medium difficulty. Accessible by high school or advanced junior high choirs. |
| Spinning Wheel | SA | Whimsical character piece. Wheel can be heard "spinning" in the piano and violin accompaniment. Vocal parts are easily learned. |
| Stepping out | TBB | A jaunty song about a dating one's favorite gal on Friday night. A cappella. Moderately difficult. May be used for sightreading practice for advanced choirs. |
| Sweet and Low | SA or TB | Arrangement of the lovely 19th century song by Joseph Barnby. Text by Alfred Lord Tennyson. WIth gently rocking piano accompaniment. Very limited ranges for young choirs of equal or nearly equal voices. Easy. |
| Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay | TB | How could a piece with this name be anything but fun! With optional simple piano accompaniment. |
| Walkin' Down that Heavenly Road | TTB | Original, spiritual-sounding piece with jazz piano and string bass accompaniment. Commisioned for the 1997 Texas Music Educators' Association Region XVII Jr. High All-Region Choir. Vocal parts are easily accessible. Excellent concert number or finale for young Tenor-bass choruses. |
| Who writes this stuff? or Everything You (N)ever Wanted To Know about the Texas Sightreading Contest | SSA* | This piece takes a satirical look at the requirements for the annual Texas choral sightreading contest. A great encore piece for performances for large groups of choral musicians. Somewhat challenging. A Cappella, of course, both times. |
| Windy Nights | SAB | An exciting setting of Robert Louis Stephenson's poem with "galloping" piano accompaniment. Much repetition and canon between the voices make this an excellent autumn concert piece for young choirs. An audience pleaser. Moderately easy. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Deck the Halls | SATB | Bright arrangement of this Christmas favorite. Takes the listener through a variety of musical moods. Performed by the 1997 TMEA Region XVII J. High All-Region Choir. Easy. Excellent for young choirs, this piece would fit into just about every holiday concert. |
| Hodie, Christus Natus Est | SATB | A rather challenging, highly rhythmical and spirited piece. SATB with divisi in all voices. Piano accompaniment. For advanced high school and adult choirs. |
| Lutebook Lullaby | SSA | Original setting of the classic text. A gentle, lightly rocking piece about the Christmas story. With piano accompaniment. Moderatly easy. |
| O Look in the Manger | SAB | A sweet little Christmas lullaby. A piece that beginning mixed choirs could master in time for the Christmas concert. Easy. |
| Peg-Legged Elf | Unison | A whimsical Christmas tale with piano accompaniment. An audience-pleasing addition to your Holiday concert. Easy; for young unison choirs. |
| Snow | SSA | A merry winter piece about dancing snowflakes. Easy. |
| Winter Lullaby | SA | A gentle piece with lots or parallel harmony. Very accessible for beginning treble choirs. Easy. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Didn't my Lord Deliver Daniel? | SAB or SATB | A cappella arrangement of a powerful spiritual. Highly rhythmical with colorful harmonies. Especially nice bass line. Medium difficulty, accessible by advanced junior high choirs and general high school choirs. |
| For the Beauty of the Earth | TB or TTB | A serious setting of Foliott Pierpont's classic text, suitable for either general concert or church use. Easy. |
| The Last Psalm | SAB | A setting of Psalm 150 with a driving beat. Strongly rhythmic piano accompaniment. Excellent for small choirs. Very accessible. For congregational or concert use. |
| No More Tears | TTB | A more serious religious piece about the Promised Land. Excellent for practicing sightsinging skills as well as for general concert or church use. Moderately easy. |
| Praise Him, Alleluia | SATB | Reminiscent of the Psalms, this is a joyful piece for both church and concert use. Moderately easy. |
| Raise Your Voice with Joyful Song | SATB | A jubilant a cappella number in rondo form with Psalm-like lyrics. An excellent anthem. Also may be used for sightsinging practice for advanced choirs. Medium difficulty. |
| Walkin' Down that Heavenly Road | TTB | Original, spiritual-sounding piece with jazz piano and string bass accompaniment. Commisioned for the 1997 Texas Music Educators' Association Region XVII Jr. High All-Region Choir. Vocal parts are easily accessible. Excellent concert number or finale for young Tenor-bass choruses. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| He Hideth My Soul | SATB | One of Fannie Crosby's best hymn texts. This arrangement of this beloved hymn takes the listener from hushed awe to joyful exuberance. Piano accompaniment. Moderately easy. |
| Here We Stand | Solo or Unison | A wedding song with piano accompaniment. |
| I Will Arise | 2-part | A reverent and ethereal-sounding arrangement of this old American folk hymn. Chromatic voice lines give a haunting color. Medium difficulty. Any combination of 2-part voices may be used. Ranges are relative to the voicing |
| Let Us Break Bread | SATB | Changing moods and colors describes this arrangement of one of the best-loved Communion hymns. Piano accompaniment grows from flowing to majestic. Easily learned for even small church choirs. |
| A Little Talk with Jesus | TTBB | Barber-shop-style a cappella arrangement of this Gospel hymn. Incorporates traditional barber-shop characteristics with surprises for both the singer and the listener. A fun piece! Medium difficulty. |
| Spirit of the Living God | TTBB | A cappella arrangement of this well-known chorus. Colorful, close harmonies are the strength of this emotionally provocative arrangement. Moderately difficult. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CHILDREN's MASS | SSA | A modal missa brevis written for treble voices with handbell and organ accompaniment. The Sanctus and the Agnus Dei would make especially nice individual concert pieces. Children's Mass is written in a combination of Latin and English. |
| 1. Kyrie | Kyrie is a contrast of powerful and inmploring sections. For two-part voices and handbells only. Written in D dorian, Kyrie is for voices with handbell accompaniment only. It uses the Latin Text. Moderately easy. | |
| 2. Gloria | Written in mixolydian mode, Gloria is relatively longer than the other movements (given the length of the Gloria text from the mass). It is an exuberant piece with many colorful and contrasting sections. Uses both Latin and English text. Two-part voices with handbell and organ accompaniment. Difficulty is moderate, mainly because of its length. | |
| 3. Sanctus | Sanctus begins peacefully with a beautiful sweeping lyrical melody over broken chords and an organ pedal point. It begins in the key of F (Ionian mode), but changes abruptly to D Aeolian in the powerful and tempestuous B section, and ends peacefully again with a repeat of the A section. Sanctus contains both two- and three-part sections. A challenging piece for young choirs, but one whose beauty will be well worth the effort involved in learning it. Combination of Latin and English text. | |
| 4. Agnus Dei | Agnus Dei is written in the natural minor (D Aeolian) mode. It is a fluid piece with mush use of counterpoint and melismata. Reminiscent of Kyrie, Agnus Dei is written with sparse handbell accompaniment, but may be performed a cappella. Written for SSA, but also available SA. Latin text. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Did You Ever...? | SA or TB | A humorous piece whose text is based upon plays on words. You can truly PUN-ish your audience with this one! |
| Just Lift Your Voice and Sing | SA or SSA | On the importance of song to the human soul. Very readable. Easy. |
| Winter Lullaby | SA | A gentle piece with lots of parallel harmony. Very accessible for beginning treble choirs. Easy. |
| Syrinx and Pan | SA | Bring a little Greek mythology into the choir room! This little piece tells the story of Pan and Syrinx. |
| Sing a Song of Seasons | SA or SSA | The flavors of the seasons are tastefully represented in this piece. Easy. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Daisy | SA or SSA | Bright and cheerful as its subject, this piece provides excellent sightreading practice as well as being a perky concert piece. Either voicing is easy to read and learn. |
| If I Were a Flower | SSA | Another bright "flower song", also available in either two- or three-part voicing. Moderately easy. |
| Lady, Lady | SSA | Original lyrics and nice harmonies make this an effective piece for young SSA choirs. Very readable for sightsinging practice. Easy. |
| Life | SSA | A song in celebration of life. A nice a cappella contest number. Also provides excellent sightreading practice for advanced choirs. |
| My Kingdom by the Sea | SSA | A lovely and wistful piece about being one with nature. Moderatly easy. |
| Snow | SSA | A merry winter piece about dancing snowflakes. Easy. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Barefoot | TB | Light-hearted, this work discusses the joys of going barefoot. A bit more challenging to read than the others in this category because of the generous use of eight notes, but highly accessible for young choirs. |
| Come, Follow Me | TB or TBB | A motivating piece calling young people to work for the good of humanity. Easy |
| For the Beauty of the Earth | TB or TTB | A serious setting of Foliott Pierpont's classic text, suitable for either general concert or church use. Easy. |
| The Pirate | TB | A robust, swashbuckling piece about a pirate and his lass. Written especially for young choirs with changed and unchanged voices. Easy. |
| Sing a Song of Seasons | TB or TBB | The flavors fo the seasons are tastefully represented in this piece. Easy. |
| Ties | TB | A humorous piece that deals with the issue of wearing a tie. Easily read and entertaining for singers and audience alike. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| No More Tears | TTB | A more serious religious piece about the Promised Land. Excellent for practicing sightsinging skills as well as for general concert or church use. Moderately easy. |
| Stepping Out | TBB | A jaunty song about a dating one's favorite girl on Friday night. A cappella. Moderately difficult. May be used for sightreading practice for advanced choirs. |
| A Teenager's Wish | TTB | An easy-going work about a teenager's fondest wish: owning a car. Easily read. |
| Thoughts of Texas | TTB | A shamelessly Texan piece about the things that make Texas... well, Texas! Moderately easy. |
| Twilight | TTB | A peaceful and comtemplative work about the end of the day. Homophonic. Excellent reading practice for young choirs as well as an effective general concert piece. |
| Vision of My Mary's Face | TBB | A song of regret for lost love. Excellent sightreading practice material for advanced junior high and high school men's choirs. Medium difficulty. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Groundhog Day | SB | Cute piece that may be used for a late winter concert. Ideal for beginning mixed choirs. Limited ranges. Easy. |
| Morning | SB | A light-hearted piece in 3/4 time that is sure to provoke a smile. Students will enjoy learning as much as audiences will enjoy hearing. Easy. |
| The Sandpiper | SB | A whimsical piece that compares seashore activity to our own lives. The music is easy to read and perform by young mixed choirs. | Take My Hand | SB | Inspirational lyrics about friendship and loyalty. Easy. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bring Me No Lilies | SAB | Gentle piece about love and devotion. Limited ranges make this an excellent piece for young mixed choirs. Easy. |
| Faery Song | SAB or SATB | A delightful piece utilizing lyrics from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Moderatly easy. Also available SATB. |
| The Friendly Cow | SAB or SATB | A simple and easily read setting of Robert Louis Stephenson's poem. Written specifically for sightreading practice. |
| Lonely Old Cowboy | SAB | A piece reminiscent of the old cowboy songs. Moderately easy. |
| O Look in the Manger | SAB | A sweet little Christmas lullaby. A piece that beginning mixed choirs could master in time for the Christmas concert. Easy. |
| May Day Carol | SAB or SATB | A bright simple madrigal-like piece, complete with fa-la-la's. A perfect selection for a spring concert. Moderately easy. Ranges: Bass--C below middle C; Soprano--high E. |
Title | Voicing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Bluebonnet | SATB, SAB | A cheery little piece about the state flower of Texas. An easily learned a cappella contest piece. Also provides sightreading practice for advanced junior high or high school choirs. Moderatly easy. |
| Praise Him, Alleluia | SATB | Reminiscent of the Psalms, this is a joyful piece for both church and concert use. Moderately easy. |
| The Prickly Pear | SATB, SAB, TBB, SSA | A humorous piece about the tenacity of the pricly pear cactus. Excellent high school reading material. Medium difficulty. |
| Propriety | SATB | A spunky piece with a commentary on societal expectations. Works well with either small ensembles or full choruses. Easily read and learned. |
| Raise Your Voice with Joyful Song | SATB | A jubilant a cappella number in rondo form with Psalm-like lyrics. An excellent anthem. Also may be used for sightsinging practice for advanced choirs. Medium difficulty. |
| Skeleton in the Closet | SATB | A fun piece that teaches an important lesson. Highly accessible for young choirs. Strophic, with refrain. Moderately easy. |
| Some Say | SATB | Homophonic, with lots of repetition. Text compares love to the elements of nature. Moderately easy. |