Choir Project

Do I have to write a separate part for each section of the choir or do they all read from the same satb?

Im not completely sure of the question but heres my answer. Choral scores are typically not separated by part. A choir typically reads from the score. If the parts are very similar or in unison, they can read the same staff usually group in SA and TB. If they are in unison for the most part then they are can all read the same staff. More complicated music, all the parts are on their own line but all read off the same page. If it is an orchestral score with choir, the choir is given all the choir parts with orchestra-piano reduction. Separating parts for choir is very very rare and not very welcomed by those who sing. Here is a few examples of choral scores:

http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/brahms/brah-642.pdf

http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/lotti/lott-cru.pdf

Plutokat, you got the question exactly right. I am writing a choral piece for the first time and the call for scores is vague on this point. I had been told that choral writing was no different than orchestral writing regarding parts. But I knew that wasn't right. I mean, it makes sense to see what others are singing, especially if you are counting many rests. Thanks for the examples, I see that divisi parts live on their own staff so I don't have to share a staff. But if divisi occurs only in bits then I could share a staff. Thanks. I think I'm good to go.

Hey Ken, 

Yeah, remember that most important for singers is how to find their notes.  Perfect pitch is a rare skill, and singers can't push a key on their instrument to always get middle C.  So they need to be able to see all the other choral parts so that they can get their correct starting note and be checking in to be sure they are still correct as they work their way along, or to find a tricky interval by reading ahead.  They get an orchestra reduction, or the piano part, and also all the choral parts, including solos.  Whether SA are together and TB are together on a staff depends on the piece.  You want everything there, and squishing the choral parts onto fewer staffs is usually easier to read at a glance than reading an "open score." Unless the parts are REALLY complicated with lots of additional divisi and you are having a hard time squeezing all the text in.  In that case, four separate lines, or SA together with T and B each separate, or TB together with S and A separate.  It depends on the piece.  Whatever makes it easy to tell which is your line, but also quickly check in with all the other parts.  If you can't read it quickly and accurately at a glance, change tactics.  

Hey Ken, 

 

Yeah, remember that most important for singers is how to find their notes.  Perfect pitch is a rare skill, and singers can't push a key on their instrument to always get middle C.  So they need to be able to see all the other choral parts so that they can get their correct starting note and be checking in to be sure they are still correct as they work their way along, or to find a tricky interval by reading ahead.  They get an orchestra reduction, or the piano part, and also all the choral parts, including solos.  Whether SA are together and TB are together on a staff depends on the piece.  You want everything there, and squishing the choral parts onto fewer staffs is usually easier to read at a glance than reading an "open score." Unless the parts are REALLY complicated with lots of additional divisi and you are having a hard time squeezing all the text in.  In that case, four separate lines, or SA together with T and B each separate, or TB together with S and A separate.  It depends on the piece.  Whatever makes it easy to tell which is your line, but also quickly check in with all the other parts.  If you can't read it quickly and accurately at a glance, change tactics.  

Thanks, and perfect pitch reminds me of my aural skills professor in college. His classes were viciously difficult, although he was a nice man and generous to a fault. We had to stand up and sight read solfege exercises that he would hand out every class, a separate one to each student. Atonal solfege! How difficult is it to sing a minor 6th when there is no key reference whatsoever? The voice majors did OK and the brass too. But piano majors like me? Like you say, you don't have to think a note, just reach out and plunk it. So people like me got "mercy C's" I guess for not hyperventilating and keeling over.

These days, that sort of ear training seems to be a standard part of the curriculum for choir programs starting in middle school.  Wish it had been when I was a kid.  Would have been a huge help.  And while we're fixing the world, all music majors, be they vocal performance, timpani, conducting, or composition majors had to take piano at my school's music program.  EVERYONE should have to do that.  It's just so helpful.  (I wasn't a music major, so I still can't play worth a toot.)  I hang out on the conductors forums too, so I can tell you that the number of middle school band directors who suddenly get their school's choral program dropped on them, and who can't play piano to help the kids learn their parts and have no vocal training themselves or experience with choral repertoire is scary.  Where is the principal who thought that was an appropriate idea?!  I suppose it's better than no music programs, though.  ):  Sheesh, America.  But the moral is, be prepared for EVERYTHING, little music majors.