First Concert Series:

Paths
High School Choral Ensembles
Selections for Spring

Lily Zhou
MUS_CLAS_410
 Ensembles & Selections:

Camerata (SATB Select Ensemble)

Piece Composer
Unclouded Day J.K. Alwood arr. Shawn Kirchner
Cantique De Jean Racine Gabriel Faure ed. John Rutter
Tres Cantos Nativos Marcos Leite

Concert Choir (SATB Ensemble)

Piece Composer
Refugee Moira Smiley
Omnia Sol Z. Randall Stroope
I Sing Because I’m Happy Arr. Kenneth Padden Adapt. Rollo
Dilworth

Cantata (SSAA Ensemble)

Piece Composer
You Do Not Walk Alone Elaine Hagenberg
Hlohonolofatsa Daniel Jackson
Hi! Ho! The Rattlin Bog Arr. Linda Spevacek
 Camerata
Title: Unclouded Day
Composer/Arranger J.K. Alwood Arr. Shawn Kirchner
Publisher & Number Boosey & Hawkes Inc: 48021256
Language English
Voicing SSAATTBB
Voice Part Ranges Soprano: D3-B5
Alto: B3-E5
Tenor: G3-G4
Baritone: B2-D4
Bass: G2-G3
Accompaniment Acapella
Suitability Gospel, Living Composer
Tonal Needs - Bluegrass vocal style
- Part independence is a must
- Lots of homophony, clarity on entrances and cut offs
- Tuning on larger chords
Rhythmic Needs - Rhythmic Clarity
- Changing meters (3/2, 4/4)
- Dotted quarter notes
- Staggered entrances
Other Kirchner Program Note and Background:

The song “Unclouded Day” was written by the itinerant

preacher Josiah K. Alwood after a late-night horse ride under a
striking vision of a sky: he saw a rainbow against a dark cloud
which covered half the sky, while the other half was perfectly
clear. He awoke in the morning with the song’s chorus in his
head, and spent a day and a half working out the verses.

“Unclouded Day” is a great banjo tune, because it seldom strays

from G major – the key the open strings of the banjo are tuned
to. I learned it in Massachusetts from a banjo-playing friend
when I was in my early 20’s, and I wrote the arrangement 15
 years later, when my church colleague, Nike St. Clair, mentioned
that we needed some American folk music to take on our
church’s choir tour to Hungary. I got it into my head to write a
set of three pieces on the image of “heavenly home” (the other
two source songs being William Bradbury’s “Angel Band,” and
the Sacred Harp tune “Hallelujah.”) Because we would have to
make do without piano in most of our tour venues, I tasked the
singers with many accompanimental figures, resulting in the
intricate a cappella counterpoint and fuguing textures in the
piece.
Duration 2:15

Title: Cantique De Jean Racine

Composer/Arranger Gabriel Fauré Ed. John Rutter
Publisher & Number Oxford University Press ID: 9780193361065
Language French
Voicing/Instrumentation SATB
Voice Part Ranges Soprano: E4-G5
Alto: C4-C5
Tenor: E3-F4
Bass: F2-B3
Accompaniment Piano/Organ or Strings
Suitability Sacred, Standard
Tonal Needs - Melodic and Harmonic appoggiaturas
- Long sweeping melodies; sustaining notes and keeping
them interesting through dynamics
- Tuning homophonic areas
Rhythmic Needs - Time signature: Common Time
- Breath support
- Not slowing down
Text By Jean Racine
- French paraphrase of a Latin hymn from the breviary for
matins
 Translation Verbe égal au Très-Haut, notre
unique espérance,
Jour éternel de la terre et des
cieux,
De la paisible nuit nous
rompons le silence:
Divin Sauveur, jette sur nous
les yeux.
Word of the Highest, our only hope,
Eternal day of earth and the
heavens,
We break the silence of the peaceful
night;
Saviour Divine, cast your eyes upon
us!

Répands sur nous le feu de Ta Pour on us the fire of your powerful

grâce puissante; grace,
Que tout l'enfer fuie au son de That all hell may flee at the sound
Ta voix; of your voice;
Dissipe le sommeil d'une âme Banish the slumber of a weary soul,
languissante
Qui la conduit à l'oubli de Tes That brings forgetfulness of your
lois! laws!

Ô Christ! sois favorable à ce O Christ, look with favour upon

peuple fidèle,
Pour Te bénir maintenant
rassemblé;
Reçois les chants qu'il offre à
Ta gloire immortelle,
Et de Tes dons qu'il retourne
comblé.
your faithful people
Now gathered here to praise you;
Receive their hymns offered to your
immortal glory;
May they go forth filled with your
gifts.

Duration 4:15

Title: Tres Cantos Nativos

Composer/Arranger Marcos Leite
Publisher & Number Earthsongs Publisher ID: S-68
Language Language of the Krao Tribe, a group of native Brazilians who
live in the Xingu river area in the Amazonian forest of
northwestern Brazil.
Voicing SATB
Voice Part Ranges Soprano: B3-C5
Alto: B3-B4
Tenor: B2-E4
Bass: B2-B3
Accompaniment Acapella w/ Percussion Instruments
Suitability Living Composer, secular, ethnic arrangement
Tonal Needs - Improvisation: Sopranos and altos improvise animal
cries and percussive sounds to emulate the sounds of
rain, river, wind, and forest of the rainforest jungle
- Lower in soprano range.
- Full sound, especially in lower voice parts

Rhythmic Needs - Time signature: 2/4

- Lots of sixteenth & eighth notes/rests.
- Body percussion & singing simultaneously
Translation Meaning of the text is unknown, but a pronunciation guide is
provided on the back cover of music.
Other Note from the editor, Daniel Rufino Adonso, Jr.:
Composed in 1982, Tres Cantos Nativos dos Indios Krao is
freely based on melodies sung by the Krao tribe… The Work is
divided into three short sections or cantos. The use of
percussion instruments is strongly recommended by the
composer; the instruments should emphasize and improvise on
the rhythms of the chorus.
Duration 3:15
 Concert Choir

Title: Refugee
Composer/Arranger Moira Smiley
Publisher & Number Moira Smiley (No publisher ID)
Language English
Voicing SAATB
Voice Part Ranges Soprano: B3-B4
Alto: G3-B4
Tenor: C3-C4
Bass: G2-G3
Accompaniment Body Percussion, opt. Piano, opt. Double Bass
Suitability Secular, Living Composer
Tonal Needs - Strong Alto 2 section
- Calling voice
- Expressive content, singers must know the background
and emotional context of this piece.
Rhythmic Needs Stomping and clapping throughout entire piece (steady tempo)
Translation/Lyrics Composer Note: Refugee is about feeling bereft and
misunderstood, and inviting empathy. We are all much closer to
being refugees than we want to imagine. Realizing this may
remind us of our humanity – especially those of us who have
relatively plenty. The vocal timbre should be a raw, calling voice
– an unsentimental plea for compassion. This can be
performed with various levels of percussion. Simplest body
percussion is the ‘stomp stomp clap’. A percussionist will help
bring more of the subtle syncopations out in your singing.
Duration 4:11
 Title: Omnia Sol (Let Your Heart Be Staid)
Composer/Arranger Z. Randall Stroope
Publisher & Number Heritage Music Press Publisher ID: 15/2134H
Language English and Latin
Voicing SATB
Voice Part Ranges Soprano: Db4-Ab5
Alto: Ab3-Db5
Tenor: Db3-F4
Bass: Ab2-Db4
Accompaniment Piano, Parts avail. for 2 tpt, horn, trombone, tuba, percussion
Suitability Secular, Living Composer
Tonal Needs - Dynamic contrast to keep repetitive melody interesting
- Very expressive
- Singing in unison requires good intonation and balance
Rhythmic Needs - Cutoff on the Fermatas
- Ritardandos
- Entrances after eighth rest
Translation/Lyrics Omnia sol temperat, absence in remota
(The sun warms everything, even when I am far away)
Ama me fideliter, fidem meam noto
(Love me faithfull, and know that I am faithful)

Composer notes included inside the cover of the piece.

Duration 4:25

Title: I Sing Because I’m Happy

Composer/Arranger Charles H. Gabriel, arr. Kenneth Paden, adpt. Rollo Dilworth
Publisher & Number Hal Leonard Corporation Publisher ID: 00124479
 Language English
Voicing SATB
Voice Part Ranges Soprano: Eb4-Db5
Alto: Db4-A4
Tenor: F3-A4
Bass: Bb3-C4
Accompaniment Piano, Opt. Bass Guitar
Suitability Gospel, Living Composer
Tonal Needs ➢ Memorization required for clapping at end
➢ A lot of isolated parts that build on top of each other
➢ High energy, get out of music!!
Rhythmic Needs - Keeping track of repeats
- Steady tempo
Translation/Lyrics Text by: Civilla D. Marin
Adapted from the gospel-style interpretation of the hymn His
Eye is on the Sparrow
Duration 3:30
 Cantata

Title: You Do Not Walk Alone

Composer/Arranger Elaine Hagenberg
Publisher & Number Beckenhorst Press ID: BP2212
Language English
Voicing SSAA
Voice Part Ranges S1: Bb3-A5
S2: Bb3-F5
A1: A3-C5
A2: F3-C5
Accompaniment Piano, opt. String Quartet
Suitability Sacred, Living Composer, Woman Composer
Tonal Needs - Warmer tone
- Bringing out the melody, which is weaved throughout
the texture
- Balance in homophonic areas
- Building in intensity, voices swelling together
- Key change
Rhythmic Needs - Keeping the melody moving despite its slower tempo
- Sixteenth notes
Translation/Lyrics Composer Notes: In this ethereal setting of a traditional Irish
blessing, voices and piano hint at Celtic musical elements with a
melody that ascends and descends over the Irish hillside, as
flecks of Celtic rhythms delicately grace the scene. As the piece
gradually builds, the voices swell together and offer comfort in
a time of uncertainty.
Duration 5:35
 Title: Hlohonolofatsa
Composer/Arranger Daniel Jackson
Publisher & Number Walton Music Code: WW1694
Language Sotho (South Africa)
Voicing SSAA w/ Solo
Voice Part Ranges Solo: C4-C5
S1: E4-F5
S2: G3-D5
A1: G3-B4
A2: G3-A4
Accompaniment Improvised Percussion
Suitability Gospel, Living Composer, Ethnic Arrangement
Tonal Needs - Solo must have a strong belt and belt mix
-
- Singing in unison
- Humming (Use SOVT’s)
- Glissandi
Rhythmic Needs - Rhythms may be hard to sight-read/overwhelming to
look at. Scaffolding needed
- Follow articulations, especially staccato
- Triplets
- Staggered entrances
- Following Repeats
Translation/Lyrics Extensive conductor notes, instructions and pronunciation
guide on the inside of the cover.
Duration 3:40

Title: Hi! Ho! The Rattlin’ Bog

Composer/Arranger Arr. Linda Spevacek-Avery
Publisher & Number Heritage Music Press ID: 15/1522H
 Language English
Voicing Three-part (SSA) w/ Descant
Voice Part Ranges S1: D4-G5
S2: C4-D5
A: G3-E4
Accompaniment Piano, Opt. Small Percussion (Slide Whistle, Ratchet, Wood
Block, Cow Bell)
Suitability Living Composer, Secular, Woman Composer
Tonal Needs - Enunciations. Understanding the lyrics, especially since
this song is a mouthful
- May be easy to accidentally sing the melody
Rhythmic Needs - Song speeds up as each verse gets longer. Singers need
to have each verse and the order confidently
memorized.
Duration 2:10