Category puzzle

JohnK · Post by **JohnK** » 05 Mar 2008 16:57

I've just put on a complete musical on the life of John the Baptist (by John Earwaker). This gave some interesting category questions.
1. The theme could be called "sacred" - but it lies in none of the sacred categories.
2. But there isn't a secular category for a "musical" either. (I've gone for operas - not quite right, somehow.)
3. How many "voices" are there when there are 12 soloists, a chorus sometimes in unison and sometimes in SATB, children (probably), and in one place a 5-part round with a hymn above? 4v and SATB doesn't feel right.
4. It's a single work but has to be presented as full score, vocal score, script, parts, etc.. Difficult to say "how many pages" or "how many KB".
Never mind! it's up.

Post by **DaveF** » 05 Mar 2008 20:11

John,

It's true we're rather short on categories on CPDL - the choices, for example, for shorter sacred works seems basically to be between "Motet" and "Anthem", which is a bit vague in musicological terms. Cousin John, however, sounds rather sui generis from your description - although would Oratorio be a better fit?

DF

Post by **bobnotts** » 05 Mar 2008 20:38

Dave - I'm intrigued - what other genres of short sacred works are you thinking of?

Post by **CHGiffen** » 05 Mar 2008 20:50

ummmm... Antiphons, Carols, Anglican chants, Evening canticles, Morning canticles, Hymns, Sacred sons, Spirituals (to name a few)...

Chuck

Post by **DaveF** » 06 Mar 2008 20:19

What I should have said was that there are plenty of other categories, but these are hardly used - the Sacred Songs category, for example, has one member - and the amount of work involved in assigning everything to the appropriate category would be enormous.

DF