A Testament of Faith (SATBB)

After the past year studying music, I wanted to write something that encompassed everything I had learned and absorbed. I wanted to challenge myself to write something that wasn't only beautiful (to my ears at least), but mentally stimulating. So for the past three months, I set out to do that, and right now, all that's left is a bit of the piano reduction work (my first time making a piano reduction for a largely polyphonic piece).The focal point of the piece is the idea of motion, the study of form and the writing process (seriously, three months), and a touch of post-tonality. I guess you could say I was aiming for something like a master work, but really I just wanted to apply all the tools old-school theory has given me to create music that I didn't just hear in my head. I spent a lot of time studying Brahm's Zwei Motetten: Schaffe In Mir, Gott, Britten's Hymn to St. Cecilia, and Pierre Villette's choral works while writing this, in case you want to know where I'm coming from.In short, this choral piece is a summation of my influences, my style, and my beliefs. Check it out.And if you have any ideas or suggestions about the piano reduction, send them my way.

A Testament of Faith (SATBB)

Measure 10: Your Score says Eb then to E; however, your MIDI is playing just E natural in the piano score. Is this what you intended? There's alot of Ab in that measure; interesting doublings.

Fix your lyric sheet to line up exactly with the text in your music.

Also, watch your dissonances. You're going to give your singers the flux, esp with Major chords plus the minor 3rds! Fun to hear, pain to sing! Just a thought.

Six before G you start your modulation to F#. Personally I loathe F#. I'd rather see Gb. Just a thought. No one wants to read B# :) If it was Gb, when you go to J, I don't see the need for c major key change. With all those accidentals, you could just stay in Gb. Once again, just a thought.

Ending, no G? and you have that lovely Ab to set us up? Come on. All that beautiful tonality to leave us with P5's?

good stuff here.

Mad Love,

Chad "Sir Wick" Hughes

Measure 10: Your Score says Eb then to E; however, your MIDI is playing just E natural in the piano score. Is this what you intended? There's alot of Ab in that measure; interesting doublings.

Fix your lyric sheet to line up exactly with the text in your music.

Also, watch your dissonances. You're going to give your singers the flux, esp with Major chords plus the minor 3rds! Fun to hear, pain to sing! Just a thought.

Six before G you start your modulation to F#. Personally I loathe F#. I'd rather see Gb. Just a thought. No one wants to read B# :) If it was Gb, when you go to J, I don't see the need for c major key change. With all those accidentals, you could just stay in Gb. Once again, just a thought.

Ending, no G? and you have that lovely Ab to set us up? Come on. All that beautiful tonality to leave us with P5's?

good stuff here.

Mad Love,

Chad "Sir Wick" Hughes

The MIDI Eb is from having two layers playing a single line in the piano reduction, so although it reads the natural correctly on the score, Finale doesn't.

Will do on the lyrics, and I'll definitely try out Gb, thanks!

Gotta love a bitter-sweet ending, eh?

No problem! I look forward to seeing/listening to more of your music!

In measure 76 it's kind of awkward how you emphasize the second syllable in "forward" when the first syllable should be emphasized. This could be fixed just by changing the hairpins a little bit.

I also think one foreseeable problem is balance. Your initial divisi already places more weight on top simply because there will be more people singing soprano and alto than tenor, baritone, and bass. Generally you want to have fewer people on the top parts because they tend to be more audible.

I also support the addition of a G (probably in Tenor II) and would also suggest the addition of an F in the Alto.

I think other than that it should work pretty well. Some of the harmonies are really nice. :)

In measure 76 it's kind of awkward how you emphasize the second syllable in "forward" when the first syllable should be emphasized. This could be fixed just by changing the hairpins a little bit.

I also think one foreseeable problem is balance. Your initial divisi already places more weight on top simply because there will be more people singing soprano and alto than tenor, baritone, and bass. Generally you want to have fewer people on the top parts because they tend to be more audible.

I also support the addition of a GB (probably in Tenor II) and would also suggest the addition of an F in the Alto.

I think other than that it should work pretty well. Some of the harmonies are really nice. :)

On measure 76, I'm hoping to achieve a cool effect there to prepare for the next section, I guess sacrificing diction for illustration. I'll definitely keep an eye on that though when this gets read during the rehearsals.

For the SATBB balance issue, the choir I'm writing this for typically has a lot of men in the bass section, so three sections on the bottom makes sense. I can definitely see the possibility of it becoming somewhat of an issue in non-collegiate level choirs, so I have some instances of the Baritones and Basses doubling before they merge at Rehearsal H, but I understand your point. I'm confident that it won't become too large of a problem though.

You guys really want to fill the final open 5th! I never thought I would write an ending with one until I journeyed through this thing. I really couldn't imagine ending it any other way, but I'll keep an open mind.

Thanks for giving it a read! I appreciate it.

Also, Maestrowick, I tried rewriting the middle section in Gb, but I think I quickly saw why I had it in F#. The smoothest way to write the C-major section transition is with sharps, which naturally leads to F#. If I chose to write in Gb, I would either have to use double-flats or courtesy markings similar to the ending of F# section. Writing in Gb also leaves me with augmented seconds from Db to E-natural right off the bat, meaning I'd have to rewrite them as F-flat. It looks like I would have more F-flats than B#s, so my other option would be penciling in C-naturals in the piano reduction or just figuring out whether the choir finds B# or C-natural as a more obvious way of asking for a minor second interval. I'll keep at it though.

For the SATBB balance issue, the choir I'm writing this for typically has a lot of men in the bass section, so three sections on the bottom makes sense. I can definitely see the possibility of it becoming somewhat of an issue in non-collegiate level choirs, so I have some instances of the Baritones and Basses doubling before they merge at Rehearsal H, but I understand your point. I'm confident that it won't become too large of a problem though.

Out of curiosity, what choir are you writing for?

Out of curiosity, what choir are you writing for?

East Carolina University Choral Scholars

The biggest thing I would reccomend after glancing first is changing the dotted syncopations into triplets: as a choral singer...I just know how we think . I'll be sure to give more feed back after looking thoroughly at it, not bad though!

The biggest thing I would reccomend after glancing first is changing the dotted syncopations into triplets: as a choral singer...I just know how we think :). I'll be sure to give more feed back after looking thoroughly at it, not bad though!

But they're not triplets. They're 3/3/2 patterns. :huh: