Go Tell It (for a cappella vocal ensemble)

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Here's an arrangement of the popular Christmas song, "Go Tell It On the Mountain" I wrote for this year's upcoming Christmas.  While I was preparing the practice vocal tracks for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass, I sang each part in a range that fit my voice, which turned it into a 'male' (barbershop) arrangement.  I thought it sounded fun, so I went ahead and mixed it down.

Hope you enjoy!

 

A Jolly Merry Christmas (for a cappella choir)

Now that Christmas is past and I've had time to 'harvest' some of our recordings of performances, I was pleased with this quite difficult a cappella vocal ensemble piece.  It's sort of a 'mash-up' of fragments of familiar Christmas songs (i.e. "Deck the Halls" and "Jingle-bells"), but not really using any complete melody.

I consider it to be more of an original composition than an arrangement, using Classical techniques of linear motivic patterns in a Jazz swing style.  At times the clashing harmonies drove my vocalists crazy, when we were working the piece up.  The group performed for memory and learned the piece as much from audio recordings as from the sheet-music score.

Hats off the the hard-working praise vocalists of Odessa Christian Faith Center, bringing it to life.  As I was part of the team, my experience was one of exhilaration, knowing that if one section got off track just a little bit, the whole thing would have snow-balled...it was a little like riding a toboggan down a steep hill wondering if we were all going to fly off at some point!

Hope you enjoy!  

Noel

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Here is a piece I wrote for Christmas using a poem by Anne Porter for the text.  It is in a modern classical style for SATB a cappella choir.  I endeavored to interpret the meaning of the poem musically, showing the stark difference between mundane traditions and that which is truly inspired.   Noel was sung by members of the Odessa Christian Faith Center choir, directed by Stephanie Carter, December 23, 2012.  Hope you enjoy! 

 

Noel

When snow is shaken
From the balsam trees
And they're cut down
And brought into our houses

When clustered sparks
Of many-colored fire
Appear at night
In ordinary windows

We hear and sing
The customary carols

They bring us ragged miracles
And hay and candles
And flowering weeds of poetry 
That are loved all the more
Because they are so common

But there are carols 
That carry phrases
Of the haunting music
Of the other world
A music wild and dangerous
As a prophet's message

Or the fresh truth of children
Who though they come to us
From our own bodies

Are altogether new
With their small limbs
And birdlike voices

They look at us
With their clear eyes
And ask the piercing questions
God alone can answer.

"Noël" by Anne Porter, from Living Things. © Zoland Books, 2006.