Competition In Choir Composition

Hello youngcomposers.

My composition teacher at University informed me yesterday about a competition he and some other people are starting. The task is to create a piece for choir from given poem {we can choose from 9 poems}. A winner will have his piece sang by a choir OMNIA and there are some whispers about it also being published or something.

The thing is I would like to ask you guys on advice which material should I look for. Study. What to be aware of and all advices you could think of. I have time untill March.

Thank you.

Do you have experience in writing for choir? Well, if not, it would be of great help to look for choir compositions throughout history, from Palestrina and Bach to Beethoven and Bruckner. Then, when you get into the modern era, look for Morten Lauridsen, Bartók, Poulenc, Samuel Barber amongst others...

You must be conscious about some things, like:

- The total extention of each voice, as well as their comfortable register. Do not surpass the limit; try to remain most of the time on the comfortable register;

- Each voice section has a characteristic timbre that may be well used. Crossing voices may have its good result, but keep in mind that it's a risky move.

- It's very important to try to make the text understandable. Don't go crazy with the voices so that nobody understands the lyrics.

- Singers need to breath!!!! This is one of the most important thing to have in mind. Put rests or places where they can breath with not much trouble.

That's it. I believe other fellows can give you more advice on this. I hope I helped^^

Sing every line yourself, in your own octave, to be sure it will work.  Can you make it to the next rest without needing a breath?  (For large choirs, they can stagger breathe, so this doesn't matter, but for chamber groups it's important.)  Does the way the stresses of the text line up with the strong beats in the music feel sensible?  

As for voice crossing, the timbre between the male and female voices is pretty different, so crossing between the alto and tenor lines is common and can be a nice effect.  Since the altos will be at the low part of their range, and the tenors will be in the high part of their range when that happens, the audience can usually hear through the timbre difference that you have crossed the parts, and finds it fun.  As opposed to crossing an alto and soprano line, or tenor with bass, where there isn't enough timbre difference to hear clearly that one line is diving while another is climbing past it.  It sounds more stagnant.  The listener is more likely to hear it as two parts just staying consistently in a certain range and not realize the parts have flip-flopped.  The sense of motion is gone.  

Try to move the singers around in their ranges throughout the piece.  Singing in the high part of your range for an extended period is straining to the voice, and you will hear the strain.  Singing low for an extended period is also straining.  As is singing on your "break," the transition between head voice and chest voice.  (Regular register vs falsetto if you're talking about men.)  But all of these things are perfectly comfortable as long as you are moving around occasionally.  You just don't want to ask anyone to stay within the same three note range for a whole piece.  

And remember that the posted ranges for the different voice parts you see a lot of places are ranges for professional soloists.  Not the average choral singer.  (Soloists tend to become soloists because they have naturally wide ranges anyway and have done years of training to learn to use their range without damaging their vocal chords.)  You can find ranges for choral singers listed on the internets as well if you know to look for them.  (:  

Wow thanks a lot.

That alto and tenor crossing is something that can be used in a symbolic manner. If there is a poem mentioning scales or day and night or whatsoever, the crossing of alto and tenor could symbolize these things perfectly. 

Any literature on this topic? I have some books of musical forms, but something larger about choir in particular?

Also.... Have you been to a composition competition? \ Any advices your teachers or mentors gave you on composition? Maybe a personal experience leading a choir and so? 

I want to squeez all the info out of you.

 

 

Any literature on this topic? I have some books of musical forms, but something larger about choir in particular?

Also.... Have you been to a composition competition? \ Any advices your teachers or mentors gave you on composition? Maybe a personal experience leading a choir and so? 

I want to squeez all the info out of you.

Sorry, no books off the top of my head, or teachers.  I've just always been in a choir (or 3) and took lots of voice lessons.  Director's spend a lot of valuable rehearsal time having everyone mark in additional breaths, and moving people around on parts for balance when there are range issues…  (All second altos will sing with the first tenors from measure 23 to measure 30… that sort of thing.)  And that's for wonderful, tested by time choral music, by composers you have heard of… (:  The range issues come up a lot, because everyone's voice is different.  Some people sing beautifully, and read music very well, but don't have a large range.  Of course you want them in your choir if they sing beautifully, but they may not be able to hit the very highest or very lowest notes, and there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it.  Their instrument just is what it is.  

Anybody else?

Sooo. To my surprise I won 1st. place. And like that is not enough, the conductor of the choir wants to record it and sing at Voce Magna 2015 in city where I go to University (Žilina) . Even wants to make it a part of her repertoir when traveling to France and around Europe. The singers love to sing it as well. And I am sitting here like. Wow. That took an unexpected turn. o_o

Gonna post the recording as soon as I get it. ^^

Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations!  Be sure to share it with us once you have a recording of a performance!