Choral Public Domain Library

Hello All,

I'm part of an amateur but not untalented Catholic church choir in Toronto Ontario, Canada. Many of the members of our choir can read music, and almost all the rest of them can benefit from having sheet music in front of them, even if they don't read music.
In the past we have done Faure's Requiem and a Gloria (I think Vivaldi's) in concert, with some success. That was when we were at our best, with lots of good male voices. We aren't there anymore, but we still have fairly well attended practices, once a week or more often around feast days. Our practices usually have about 15 members at them (not everybody can make it every time) and we have a few more at Sunday mass. If we were all there we would be about 30 strong.
I'm writing all this because I am looking for more good traditional sacred choral pieces to sing. I'm not terribly talented musically myself, don't have a large library of music (though it is expanding), but I would like some pieces to suggest to our choir director. Lots of what I would like to sing we simply have no chance of being able to do given our circumstances and talent, but I don't know what is out there so I am looking for information.

I'm hoping for pieces that are

-Good musically (I realize this is a very subjective criteria)

-Not too difficult

-Are available on this website (free!!!)

Someone somewhere may already have drawn up a list of such music that I can find on another website. I'm sure a little searching might turn something up, but the knowledgeble people here may know of something right off that would be helpful to me. It would seem to me that such a list would be a very useful thing for choir directors so it must exist somewhere on the web. I don't know if it would be suitable for a sticky post in this forum for example, or somewhere else on the site.

Any help would deeply appreciated. Thank you very much for your attention.

Ingvar

I would run with PeterLutkin's "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" as well as Mozart's "Ave Verum". If you are looking for major works, Try John Stainer's "The Crucifixion", particularly effective during Lent. I have an orchestrated version available if that is something your director is interested in -- have him or her give me an email. I could make it free for a suitable recording.

Also check out pieces at 'fac-simile.org', as they have music catalogued by voicing and accompaniment. SibeliusMusic.com also has many free scores, but also many more scores for sale.

I would recommend the Mozart 'Ave Verum' as well.

Tallis' 'If Ye Love Me Keep My Commandments' is another beautiful piece that is not too difficult (if you've already done Faure's Requiem, it won't be an issue)

Seeing as you've already done the Faure, you've already sung 'In Paradisium' which was my next suggestion.

Faure's 'Cantique de Jean Racine' is another good one (there are English words for it too)

Bach's 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring' is another simple one.

I feel I've got to plug my Worcestershire music history - by far the most easiest of the Ave Verums is good old Edward Elgar's Ave Verum. Very simple unison soprano, repeated in simple four part harmony. Then verse 2 same thing. Variation at the end but all very simple.

hi

another wonderful but fairly easy piece
is Anton Bruckner's 'Locus Iste'

terry

Hello all,

Thank you for all your replies. I really appreciate the help. We have actually already done "If ye love me", Mozarts "Ave Verum" (we tried Byrds a while back but I don't think we did it that well), and "Jesu, Joy". I think we did "The Lord bless you and keep you" also. Not sure of the author though, but it probably was Lutkin. I enjoyed them all. But there are some new selections there that the director might like. Thank you all again. We are doing part of Vivaldi's Gloria again after many years, so we have something good to work on.

Ingvar.

Hi Ingvar
Although it's liturgical piece rather than a concert piece, you might like my Simple Communion Service (or some of the movements):
http://www.dwsolo.com/commu.htm (free download of scores)

There is also a little motet (Hoc est enim) which my local choir managed, worth considering perhaps (but the score, although very cheap, is not free):
http://www.toptempo.com/song/song_0000127.html

Kind regards
David