Over the Rainbow

This song is what made me want to compose.

The climax near the end was the very first thing I wrote. I have had that section in my mind for years, but I never thought write it out.

This arrangement is being recorded by the ensemble I sing with later in April. I'm always looking for ways to improve it before hitting the studio, so let me know what you think.

Over The Rainbow (mine) Final.MUS

Over The Rainbow (SATB).pdf

The lot of unisonos and the bad phrase-driving shows, that you are beginner. Maybe you should learn these really important things from a teacher :) Good luck!

The lot of unisonos and the bad phrase-driving shows, that you are beginner. Maybe you should learn these really important things from a teacher :) Good luck!

Forgive my ignorance but what is unisonos? I tried looking it up and got alot of italian... :)

The lot of unisonos and the bad phrase-driving shows, that you are beginner. Maybe you should learn these really important things from a teacher :) Good luck!

Bad phrase-driving? You realize this is a song that's been around for like 70 years right? This is just an arrangement of a WELL established song. With phrasing that's just fine.

Also kobi I think unisonos is a typo of "unisons."

As for commentary: nice for an arrangement, now go write something original.

Also kobi I think unisonos is a typo of "unisons."

Oh, duh. I feel silly. Lol :D

it's not about the melody, it's about the arrangement. If you look meas. 34-39 in the bass-soprano. Soprano can fly with the melody, but bass is rut in some notes. So I would write Ab in the bass in meas 35 (are), because IV is better there than VI. In meas. 36 you could ornament with some figuration (in the original it's F-Eb-D-Db --> through notes to the C note) In meas. 38.. yeah, this is a nice 7 accord, but again with a small move. In 39 you could write opposite-moving (really) which could make it more dinamic.......

So. There are pieces, when it's good, to have passive phrases, but here it would be more beautiful if you wrote more dinamic phrases. You know: structure - ornamentation

{ Anyway you can see that I have a choral piece online too. And I had the same problems like you. Not in the first movement, because in the first I wanted to make a dollop of sounds, and I was successful about it (it sounds good with a real choir). But in the secund, I have the same phrase-driving problems somewhere. But I know them now :) }

However it's not bad for first choral piece. And again, you should learn from a teacher. Good luck again, and think about it :)

I agree somewhat with gollam as far as harmonic placement to drive the melody even moreso. I'm all for doing what you want in a piece, but if you want a certain part of your overall melody to be really strong, you don't just get it by having a loud choir singing a lot of notes. Save the more passive progressions for the more passive sections so your big sections sound even bigger by anticipation. These are all things you learn from practice and/or a teacher. You can figure it out just by listening to good composers and analyzing what they do. Mind you, I really enjoyed your voicings. As a vocalist, they were easy to follow, and easy to sight read, but the overall piece will be charming and sound a lot more difficult than it is. I also don't mind the unisons. Unisons are one of the most intirguing intervals to me. At the same time, they can be immensely powerful and completely moving, enough to make stir emotions without any accompaniment or harmonies, and at other times they can be the simplest, and most unaggresive sound, that just begs for more to happen. Good use of unison also makes the listener focus on the words, as opposed to the sound.

Also..I really want more to happen in the piano in the middle sections. Perhaps this is the exact sound you want, but I was a little let-down when there'd be big climactic choral singing a capella, and then the piano would have an interlude that was small and wimpy. If you have a good pianist, they will appreciate a lovely featurette a few times in the middle of the piece where they have the opportunity to make a statement for themselves. So often, pianists only play accompaniment, and never solo. So a song like this, which allows for some solo display for the pianist is a chance to really let them ham it up. If you're not a pianist, you may be able to ask someone who you know does play and have them help you write out a good featurette in those middle sections. They can drive the piece as much as the choir if written well.

I enjoyed the piece overall, and if this is truly your first, you have a great journey ahead of you.