Vocalise

This is a song without words for mixed choir. The sounds produced by the singers are a variety of closed vowel sounds. See the performance notes in the score for more explanation. Crappy MIDI rendition is crappy.Comments welcome!

Vocalise

Wonderful piece, mate. No criticisms here. There is however, a typo on page 3 "for mized..".

Pretty cool

Watch out in measure 14... perfect 5ths amongst everyone might not go as well as you hoped, but if it were to be sung by a good college level/higher you'd be fine. Also, measure 32, beat 1 ... the tritone in the baritone is not easy either. Other than that, I enjoyed it :)

Wonderful piece, Justin. I disagree with Mael, I think the 5ths will work perfectly fine and I absolutely LOVE the tritone in the baritone! I think this is a very good work. Any chances on it getting performed?

Wonderful piece, Justin. I disagree with Mael, I think the 5ths will work perfectly fine and I absolutely LOVE the tritone in the baritone! I think this is a very good work. Any chances on it getting performed?

Working on a performance with my university's choir. Luckily, they're really good, so they should be able to handle it.

Wonderful piece, Justin. I disagree with Mael, I think the 5ths will work perfectly fine and I absolutely LOVE the tritone in the baritone! I think this is a very good work. Any chances on it getting performed?

Hahaha why are you so argumentative? :P Nobody will doubt that the 5ths will "work" ... sure they'll work, but the question is intonation and as I said, given a semi-good choir, it won't be a problem at all. But the tritone in the baritone is a different issue because as far as I can tell, it's out of character with the rest of the piece in terms of its dissonance. Tritones are a little difficult to get into perfect intonation, especially when it's in closed position in the lower register within the same section.

It is the only true diminished chord in the piece so yeah, it may be a challenge, but I'm not worried about it.

Ok. I am going to be a less positive. Please bear with me ;)

The way it is orchestrated sounds at places rather thick. Probably fitting with the warm sound, like christmassy cosy happy feel you want. I personally really hate this. But I try to set this aside ;)

The main problem is I think that almost every phrase ends with a A (V) in the bass. The basic theme, which is repeated in ms 22 consists of 2 phrases, each ending in V without resolving Ms 4 and 8. Added to this is in ms 6 an extra V.

Then comes an somewhat interesting, somewhat odd sequence, moving to E. But this new root is not really established, because it is instanly moved away from. (Note however the preceding I64 V cadence, yet again, in ms 13) Yeah, I know there is the open fifth, making it unclear wheter E major of minor is meant. This adds to the intriguing-ness (is this a word) of the work, but it is not really satisfactory. Them you move from G7 to C6, E7 Am, D6 A64 A (V again) and it all starts over.

The general feeling I got this is one big authentic cadence, without really resolving. Bleh.

On the bright side. I was really, and I mean really glad with the plagal cadence in the end, what a relief! And I really loved the added 2nd in the final chord. That was a nice touch. So I doubt how to evaluate this work. There are some interesting things going on. The interesting/odd transition in the middle cause me to think for a while that the return of the initial theme was played a second higher than the first time. (fitting within the cliché-preconception I get when I hear these harmonic progressions...)

Then rhythm. Everything is moving in half notes. In ms 16 I was hoping that the upper voiced had a quarter rest. I think at that place you can really add to the drama you want to convey. A breach of rhythm (like quarter rest, halve note, quarter note) could really make the piece a whole lot better. IMHO.

Well. Many of what I said is style based. Justin, I hope this was helpful nonetheless.

great use of sub-dominant suspensions! I love those. The chords flow nicely, there is enough rhythmic contrast to make it interesting throughout the piece and you use secondary modulation wonderfully! I'm a little confused as to the difference between the pronunciation of dog, boston and spa, but then again I'm not very familiar with the IPA :). I think some words would add a lot more meaning to the piece and wouldn't be terribly difficult to add to the setting, but thats just my opinion and I can see the artistic value of leaving it open as written. Well done!

great use of sub-dominant suspensions! I love those. The chords flow nicely, there is enough rhythmic contrast to make it interesting throughout the piece and you use secondary modulation wonderfully! I'm a little confused as to the difference between the pronunciation of dog, boston and spa, but then again I'm not very familiar with the IPA :). I think some words would add a lot more meaning to the piece and wouldn't be terribly difficult to add to the setting, but thats just my opinion and I can see the artistic value of leaving it open as written. Well done!

The difference in the vowels between "dog" and "boston" is very subtle and almost too close to bother being differentiated, but I thought I should be thorough. "Spa", of course, has a very different vowel. :)

the piece is interesting for the variety in the harmonic texture, there some interesting chord porgression and modulation...

But I think missing a moment of climax and a theme of contrast.

perhaps with a contrapuntal episode...

Good work