Texts for Choral Pieces

Hello,

I just had a question I was going to throw to the users of this forum.

Is there a website, (I don't believe there is, I've googled), or a resource where one my find out what poetry is in public domain as use in Choral Pieces. I mean, I know some estates may get VERY angry at me and I really really really don't want that.

Any help is appreciated.

Good rule of thumb: if it's published before 1923, it's public domain. Otherwise, your SOL.

Write your own poetry buddy, it's much more gratifying.

or use nonsense; I love doing that. :-)

or use nonsense; I love doing that. :-)

I was actually thinking about that!

You know, 4-5 lines of bullshit, then a word like "AMEN" and then some more crup. In a fully religious kind of music.Then everyone goes out feeling SO religious and fine and mystified and all that! :D

I was actually thinking about that!

You know, 4-5 lines of bullshit, then a word like "AMEN" and then some more crup. In a fully religious kind of music.Then everyone goes out feeling SO religious and fine and mystified and all that! :D

I have found that when you use a text, the audience is distracted and tries to pay attention to the words rather than the music. Since I primarily use voice as a timbre and not as a means of conveying poetry/politics/pap, I almost never give vocalists a meaningful text, but instead treat them as another instrument.

Music should be the star, not some dead poet.

Any standard latin text will work (Kyrie, O Magnum, Caritas etc). poerty-cafe.com has a pretty nice list of poetry in the public domain. And check THIS site out, it has a very extensive list...you'll have to sort through a lot though. Oh, and any passage from the bible works well enough if done right (or translated into latin :)), especially from the books of Psalms and Proverbs. Good luck!