Choral Works No. 1 - LOSE

[tadam1983]

Hello Everyone!

I'd like to share with you this little piece. It's based on a true story.
This is the first version, recorded with virtual choir.
We are working to record it live in the future.



Thank you for listening!
Adam

[mediumaevum]

I liked the melodic and harmonic content.

Though, as a critique I'd say I miss some more advanced counterpoint.

When you have a virtual choir like this, singing only "Ooh", make you combine it with some other instruments, ie. strings, as to hide the fact that there is no text. To the listener, this will make it more interesting, when there is no text, regardless of the lyrics not being audible at all (even if there was any, like - say an opera, few people can understand what's being sung in an opera, even if it's in English).

It's a technique used a lot in film scoring.

[tadam1983]

I liked the melodic and harmonic content.

Though, as a critique I'd say I miss some more advanced counterpoint.

When you have a virtual choir like this, singing only "Ooh", make you combine it with some other instruments, ie. strings, as to hide the fact that there is no text. To the listener, this will make it more interesting, when there is no text, regardless of the lyrics not being audible at all (even if there was any, like - say an opera, few people can understand what's being sung in an opera, even if it's in English).

It's a technique used a lot in film scoring.

Thank you, it is a great idea, I will try this.
I'm not currently at the level to apply advanced counterpoint, but I hope to be able to learn this technique in the years to come.
Thank you very much for listening and commenting.

[rp314]

Nice...

[shawshawraw]

Cool man, that's dope, when works come out, they come out fast

It gives me quite an Eric Whitacre feel - the use of chord extensions, the push and pull of harmonic rhythm... I think you can do more, though! For example, the phrases at 0:23 and 0:31 start at the same open voicing on IV, which I personally find dull at 0:31, considering the 0:23 phrase is quite a travel... Check out Whitacre's "Water Night" and see what you can copy over

I really love the two phrases at 0:23 and 0:41. They should reappear at a later time.

Kudos to you! Looking forward to a live version! Better with lyrics!

[tomtom1]

This is really good! Nice modern contemporary style.
Whitacre was mentioned, it's worth checking out - or Ola Gjeilo (Northern lights, Ubi caritas) - both composers are "big" in the choir-scene. Or Kehoe: Flow water - to get some more inspriation - if you don't know them already...

I don't know what text will you have - but i would suggest to do also a "sacred version" - (if necessary a text from a missa).
from my point of view, it might even increase the chances of success. many choirs can still be found close to the "sacred sector".
(i am a church-musician and leading a choir is part of our job - and we are still many ).

[tomtom1]

I'm not currently at the level to apply advanced counterpoint

this is also not necessary at all times. the modern, currently popular choral literature, lives from the sound, from the chords, from "bathing" in the emotion.

[meteorwater]

Woah. that was nice man! got intense near the end!

[ChameleonMusic]

[/quote]Yes this definitely works very well for me - good listen... quite a few interesting, unexpected and lovely moments along the way.

Whitacre was mentioned, it's worth checking out - or Ola Gjeilo (Northern lights, Ubi caritas) - both composers are "big" in the choir-scene. Or Kehoe: Flow water - to get some more inspriation - if you don't know them already...

100% agree with Thomas here. On a couple of listens, you definitely have a choral sound that is in the same general area...difference for me at the moment especially with EW is:

1) The way his choral music slowly, subtly expands, widens, grows, blossoms to a sometimes extraordinary degree over a piece. There are elements of this approach with your piece, but for me it needed to 'grow' even more.

2) EW - I always find myself listening to the inside parts almost as much as the top lines a lot of the time - it's often NOT just about melody and accompaniment as each and every part is a strong melody in its own right...of course the trick here is to do so without losing the overall sense of togetherness that is utterly crucial in this style of choral music! This is an area, I think for future development maybe? Linked to that point - the constant gentle interplay between parts with EW.

I miss some more advanced counterpoint.

I get the point, but not for me in this particular musical context - there are clear little glimpses of polyphony at times here and that's fine, but this style of music does not overdo this aspect as it's all about the gentle rise and fall of the overall wash of sound.

It gives me quite an Eric Whitacre feel - the use of chord extensions, the push and pull of harmonic rhythm

Totally agree - especially the ebb and flow of the harmonic pace, but...

EW's sonorities are NOT just about extended chords, possibly even more important are these two points:

1) Often the extended chords do not move / resolve as expected...if they actually resolve at all!

2) Those intense peaks in his pieces are often centred around extraordinary note clusters rather than chords as such - he is often writing melodically (horizontally) with the interaction between separate parts creating the harmonies (vertical aspect).

with EW sometimes the sustained use of a note is mystifying until you hit one of those clusters and the whole sonority 'lifts' and you realize why that one note has been there for so long!

'With a Lily in Your Hand' measures 1-3 - an already present E in the tenor suddenly takes precedence in the piece as it is joined by a B major triad....B D# F# to form what can only really be described as a cluster.

I think that many of EW's most intense 'moments' go beyond analysis via traditional extended triads.

[tomtom1]

On a couple of listens, you definitely have a choral sound that is in the same general area...

i totally agree.

@adam: but it is always worth checking out some choir-works of the past era. in some you can already hear things, that are common nowadays (sound, emotion). maybe for some further inspiration.
(btw. i don't know what background you have.)

Poulenc (1899-1963)- Quatre motets pour un Temps de Pénitence
Stanford (1852-1920) - The blue bird (could be composed yesterday ... somehow )
Max Reger (1873-1916) - Oh Tod, wie bitter bist du (especially the beginning - awesome, but don't copy the diffuculty)

[ChameleonMusic]

On a couple of listens, you definitely have a choral sound that is in the same general area...

i totally agree.

@adam: but it is always worth checking out some choir-works of the past era. in some you can already hear things, that are common nowadays (sound, emotion). maybe for some further inspiration.
(btw. i don't know what background you have.)

Poulenc (1899-1963)- Quatre motets pour un Temps de Pénitence
Stanford (1852-1920) - The blue bird (could be composed yesterday ... somehow )
Max Reger (1873-1916) - Oh Tod, wie bitter bist du (especially the beginning - awesome, but don't copy the diffuculty)

Definitely! The more you listen to and experiment with, the more you develop your own unique approach!

Maybe go back even further as choral music is different in many ways from other areas of composing...

Allegri: Miserere

This is the greatest recording ever of that piece...no arguments from anyone!



Thomas Tallis: Spem in Alium



Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli



Sorry, I'm a massive fan of Renaissance choral work!

Note: if anyone tells me here that Gregorio Allegri was actually composing during the later Baroque period...yeah, I know! But the 'Miserere Mei, Deus' is very much late Renaissance in style rather than Baroque!

One more modern one:

Arvo Part: Da Pacem Domine (Try the 'Te Deum' as well?)



Got carried away!

Love all this stuff!

[tadam1983]

Nice...

Thank you very much!

[tadam1983]

Cool man, that's dope, when works come out, they come out fast

It gives me quite an Eric Whitacre feel - the use of chord extensions, the push and pull of harmonic rhythm... I think you can do more, though! For example, the phrases at 0:23 and 0:31 start at the same open voicing on IV, which I personally find dull at 0:31, considering the 0:23 phrase is quite a travel... Check out Whitacre's "Water Night" and see what you can copy over

I really love the two phrases at 0:23 and 0:41. They should reappear at a later time.

Kudos to you! Looking forward to a live version! Better with lyrics!

Thank you very much for listening, commenting and proposal for improvement.
I love Eric Whitacre's music, it really has a big impact on me.
We definitely want a live version, unfortunately organizing it is not a simple task, but it is in progress.
The background story of the piece is a tragedy I can't put into words.
A situation where one cannot say anything, so I originally planned this without lyrics.

[tadam1983]

This is really good! Nice modern contemporary style.
Whitacre was mentioned, it's worth checking out - or Ola Gjeilo (Northern lights, Ubi caritas) - both composers are "big" in the choir-scene. Or Kehoe: Flow water - to get some more inspriation - if you don't know them already...

I don't know what text will you have - but i would suggest to do also a "sacred version" - (if necessary a text from a missa).
from my point of view, it might even increase the chances of success. many choirs can still be found close to the "sacred sector".
(i am a church-musician and leading a choir is part of our job - and we are still many ).

Thank you very much!
I definitely listen to the works of the mentioned composers, I love choral music, both modern and older works. I especially love the temple performances, instant goosebumps when the first sound is heard, regardless of the piece.
I really like the idea of sacred version but I didn’t planned lyrics for this piece because the story that inspired me to write this music can’t be expressed in words for me. Do you think it could be work in this way?
I mean, is the piece able to express loss, irreversibility, but the hope floating there above it all in this form as well?

[tadam1983]

Woah. that was nice man! got intense near the end!

Thank you very much!