Choral Public Domain Library

I've been searching the web for musical style guides that cover choral music in detail. So far, I haven't found any. There are lots of style guides for orchestral music, but choral music is glossed over, if mentioned at all.

Does anyone know of any detailed style guides for choral music? By "detailed" I mean things like:

• when to put more than one part on one staff
• how to notate alternative notes for parts that go very high or low
• when to use repeat signs, multiple endings, D.C., D.S., etc
• proper use of rehearsal letters and measure numbers
• how to optimize page turns
• when to provide a keyboard reduction for the choral parts
• how to decide whether to put hand percussion parts parallel with the choral parts, or on their own part(s)
• how to handle an accompaniment that may be played on organ (with pedals) or piano
• special considerations for junior choirs
• how & when to indicate where to breathe
• pros & cons of phonetic spelling for lyrics in a foreign language
• proper use of "divisi" and "tutti"

These are just examples off the top of my head; there are many more. I'm not asking this forum for answers, but rather for sources where I can find authoritative answers.

Thank you,
-- Ed

Hi Ed,

If you haven't found it already, I highly recommend buying a copy of "Behind Bars" by Elaine Gould. She's the current senior editor at Faber Music and the book evolved from all her little post-it notes and binders of instructions for the editorial staff there. It is an absolute doorstop of a book, and if you are willing to spend a little time hunting using the index, provides the answers to all life's questions, including choral music, and piano reductions or accompaniment of choral pieces.

Cheers, and may your scores be tidy!
Maggie Furtak

I second Maggie's recommendation of "Behind Bars" ... it's the gold standard.