#contemporary choral

[ritmodj-com]

(Ritmodj.com)This song is a Christmas duet full of energy, joy and a touch of spirituality, blending classic Christmas rhythms with vibrant group harmonies. It begins with a soft and melodious a cappella solo voice that evokes the calm and miracle of the birth in Bethlehem. The atmosphere transforms with a choral burst of “Merry Christmas” shouts, giving way to a lively rhythm that celebrates togetherness and the Christmas spirit.The lyrics tell the story of Jesus' birth in the Bethlehem portal, highlighting the arrival of shepherds, kings and families to worship him. The choir, with high and festive voices, invites everyone to join in a night of hope and love. A dynamic bridge links the voices of the singers, as the song culminates in a burst of joy that reflects the universality of the message of peace and happiness.Ideal for holiday celebrations, “Merry Christmas at the Manger” combines tradition and modernity, creating an unforgettable musical experience for all ages. 🎶✨

[mrbacf]

Duruflé, Maurice (1960): 4 motets sur des thèmes grégoriens, op. 10 — sc...

[ozkar-krapo]

Henri POUSSEUR [w/. Michel BUTOR]

"La Rose des Voix"

(LP. Igloo. 1985) [BE/FR]

[queerprayers]

Johanna's essential holy week albums <3

The Prince of Egypt soundtrack (obviously)

Lent / Liturgical Folk

The Gregorian Lent and Easter / Pro Cantione Antiqua

Golgotha / Poor Bishop Hooper

Dear Wormwood / The Oh Hellos (especially "Caesar")

Music Inspired By The Story / compilation

Lent at Ephesus & Tenebrae at Ephesus / Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles

Music of the Passion of Jesus Christ / The London Fox Players

St. Matthew Passion / J.S. Bach (lyrics & translation here)

Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack (flawed but beloved; all the casts have their pros and cons so I'll leave it up to you.)

This isn't an album but my favorite hymn is "Beneath the Cross of Jesus" and I had to mention it

addition: Good Friday Eastern Sacred Songs / Fairuz (thank you marymagdalenestan my favorite instagram user)

edit: forgot to add! put yours in the tags/reblogs/replies! no judgement just more music in the world!

[mikrokosmos]

Eric Whitacre

( 2 January - )

Happy Birthday, Eric!

[lesbianboyfriend]

would love to start vocal lessons again. think that might heal something in me. but the money.

[rmichaelwahlquist]

Tomorrow (Monday) July 10th. Livestream at this link: https://www.byui.edu/music/events/watch-live

[icepixie]

I'm not ugly crying about some animated birds, you are. (Seriously, watch this, it's fantastic. And sad. But beautiful.)

"The Lost Birds is a soaring elegy for the loss of bird species due to human activity. Composed and conducted by Christopher Tin and featuring Voces8 and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Tin’s new requiem is a celebration of birds—as symbols of beauty, hope, peace, and renewal—but it also mourns their absence."

Playlist for the entire album More info

[shoesofthefishermanswife]

i would've done the fach system so much better actually (<- has never seriously studied classical/operatic voice)

[nonesuchrecords]

John Adams' opera Girls of the Golden West will be released April 26 on Nonesuch. The composer leads the LA Phil in this recording made in Disney Hall, with the Los Angeles Master Chorale led by Grant Gershon. You can hear an aria featuring Davóne Tines and Julia Bullock now and pre-order the album here.

For the opera, which tells the story of the California Gold Rush, longtime Adams collaborator Peter Sellars drew from original sources from the era—letters, journals, newspaper articles, and familiar song lyrics—to create the libretto. The cast also includes Paul Appleby, Hye Jung Lee, Elliot Madore, Daniela Mack, and Ryan McKinny.

[mrbacf]

Arvo Part - Passio (Hilliard Ensemble)

[ozkar-krapo]

MUSARC [c. Neil LUCK]

"Bloody Sirens"

(LP. Entr’acte. 2018 / rec. 2015) [GB]

[adriannamateo]

Friends, I'm making my West Coast solo debut tonight! I've been practicing 42 virtuosic pages for tonight's staged choral opera premiere. I didn't know the San Francisco Girls Chorus previously, but I'm so glad they reached out. Not only did they win 5 (!!) GRAMMY awards, but they also have an incredible record of premiering works with artists like the Kronos Quartet and the Philip Glass Ensemble. I'm spending this weekend - including my birthday on Sunday! - - as the solo violinist in Matthew Welch's beautiful Filipino-American work featuring a young female writer protagonist in a 1920's strike camp. It's a thrilling West Coast solo debut on several levels!!

🎻 We have 4 shows between June 16 (tonight) and Sunday June 18. If you have Bay Area friends, please feel free to share the event! (Rumor is I might be whipping out another instrument mid-show.) Scroll for details.

🔊 I was featured by SFGC for their Postcard series, which you can read here.

Sidebar: Hank Dutt from the Kronos Quartet shared some of his thoughts on music from the past few years, career longevity, and more over coffee at Peet's between his and my rehearsals. There were lots of sage head nods and puckish giggles.

Details below. OMG I totally need to steam my concert dress now lol 😂 Wish me luck, friends! 💜

Yours always, Adrianna

EVENT DETAILS: San Francisco Girls Chorus Valérie Sainte-Agathe, Artistic Director & Conductor

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS: Sean San José, stage director Florante Aguilar, guitar Haruka Fujii, percussion Adrianna Mateo, solo violin

PROGRAM Matthew Welch: Tomorrow’s Memories: A Little Manila Diary (world premiere SFGC commission) A collaborative project three years in the making, this semi-staged work, featuring SFGC's award-winning Premier Ensemble, is based on the 1924-1928 diary writings of Filipina immigrant Angeles Monrayo and highlights the importance of the Filipino diaspora’s cultural impact throughout the United States, particularly in the Bay Area.

DATES June 16, 7:30pm June 17th, 3:00pm and 7:30pm June 18th, 3:00 pm *Birthday Show!*

LOCATION The Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture Landmark Building D, 2 Marina Blvd San Francisco, CA

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: The Baroque Period

The Baroque Period of music - occurred from roughly 1600 to 1750.

It was preceded by the Renaissance era and followed by the Classical era.

The Baroque period was a revolutionary time in music history that saw a full embrace of polyphony, ornamentation, and harmonic sophistication.

The style spread throughout Europe over the course of the 17th century, with notable Baroque composers emerging in Germany, Italy, France, and England.

The era was not limited to music. Baroque painting (by masters like Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens), Baroque sculpture (led by Gian Lorenzo Bernini), and Baroque architecture (particularly in the Catholic church) were other celebrated forms of Baroque art in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The term Baroque can refer to all of these art forms in addition to music.

Characteristics of Baroque Music

Baroque music made notable advances from the Renaissance period, many of which are still employed by contemporary musicians and composers. Baroque music often has the following characteristics:

Emphasis on dynamics: During the Baroque era, the pianoforte (an early version of the piano) replaced the harpsichord as the primary keyboard instrument. The pianoforte (called a klavier in German) struck strings with felted hammers, whereas the harpsichord plucked the strings. This meant the pianoforte could play both soft and loud, opening new dynamic possibilities. Other new Baroque instruments, like the valve trumpet and the violin, also had immense dynamic potential. Renaissance instruments like the lute were still played, but they were eclipsed in popularity by newer, more dynamic options.

Embrace of instrumental music: Prior to the Baroque era, a great amount of music was vocal music used in liturgical settings. While Baroque composers still embraced singing in the form of chorales, cantatas, and opera, instrumental music became increasingly popular. Some of the most renowned pieces of Baroque music, such as Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Bach's Brandenburg Concerto, are instrumental pieces.

Ornamentation: Much like Baroque architecture and sculpture, Baroque music embraces flair. Even the simplest melodies were often embellished with ornamentations like trills, acciaccaturas, appoggiaturas, mordents, and turns.

Basso continuo: Basso continuo notation became popular during the Baroque era. This form of music notation includes a complete bass line, which is usually played by a cello in a Baroque ensemble. A player of a keyboard instrument like a harpsichord or piano then improvises chords using figured bass notation. Solo organ players often play basso continuo notation entirely on their own.

A Brief History of Baroque Music

After its inception in Italy, Baroque music expanded throughout Europe thanks to composers like Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.

Origin in Italy: The early Baroque era of music centered in Italy. Italian composers based in Rome and its surroundings composed music that drew on the traditions of the Renaissance era but also expanded its harmonic and ornamental boundaries. Notable Italian Baroque composers include Alessandro Scarlatti (and his son Domenico Scarlatti), Antonio Corelli, and Claudio Monteverdi. Antonio Vivaldi was the last major Italian Baroque composer. He worked in the later Baroque era, overlapping with George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach.

German influence: As musicians traveled throughout Europe, the Baroque style caught on, and new composers added new elements. The English composer Henry Purcell and French composers like Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Phillippe Rameau made marks, but it was the German school of Baroque music that was most influential. Georg Philipp Telemann, Michael Praetorius, Johann Pachelbel, and most of all Johann Sebastian Bach helped define the high Baroque period. Another prominent German was George Frideric Handel, although he spent nearly his entire career in England.

End of an era: The Baroque period's end is tied to the death of Bach in 1750. The second half of the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century marked the Classical period, where composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn built on the foundation laid by Baroque composers.

Baroque Period Musical Forms

Popular Baroque musical forms include the prelude and fugue, the cantata, the concerto, the oratorio, the sonata, and even opera.

Like prior Renaissance compositions, many Baroque pieces have religious themes.

Baroque composers were aligned with both the Catholic church and, following the 16th century Protestant Reformation, other denominations like Lutheranism.

Notable Baroque Composers

The Baroque era gave rise to many composers whose works are still regularly played. Three particularly notable composers of the Baroque period are:

Johann Sebastian Bach: No composer better defines the High Baroque era than J.S. Bach. Based largely in Leipzig, Germany, Bach was a master organ player (among many other instrumental talents) and a composer who created both liturgical and secular music. Bach's brilliance lay in his mastery of counterpoint and harmonic transformation. Works like The Well-Tempered Klavier, The Art of the Fugue, and the Brandenburg Concertos remain essential parts of the classical music repertoire.

George Frideric Handel: Born in Germany but notably a Londoner, Handel composed Baroque landmarks like Water Music and the opera Rodrigo. Yet he is most remembered for Messiah, an English-language oratorio composed in 1742. His Music for the Royal Fireworks was commissioned by King George II and firmly established his place in British music history.

Antonio Vivaldi: A Venetian composer, Vivaldi was famed for his mastery of the violin. His musical compositions reflect his instrumental virtuosity. The most famous of these is Four Seasons, a series of violin concertos that is widely performed by today's classical musicians. During his lifetime, Vivaldi made most of his income as an opera composer, where he pushed thematic boundaries in works like 1716's Arsilda, regina di Ponto.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs