A Choral Section

In the forum, shouldn't we have a section dedicated to choral works?

Choral music goes in the chamber music forum. If we were to add a ''voice/choral works'' forum, we'd have to add a whole bunch of subcategories of the orchestral, chamber, experimental and pop related forums as well.

Which would, of course, look very messy. We don't want mess. :horrified:

Once a mod, always a mod......

:horrified:

But, what if you have a choral work with Orchestra?

*sigh* It'd obviously go in orchestral...

I'll put it very simple: Would you be able to fit a choir and an orchestra in a chamber? :D

Once a mod, always a mod......

:D

:dry: :horrified:

no... I was joking...

solution:

If you want to write a choral work write something big like a cantata and stick it in major works

I see nothing wrong with having a vocal/choral section to the forum.

I don't consider a piece for a capella chorus (sung by 60 people) a "chamber" work. It's certainly NOT an "orchestral" piece.

I think most singers would object to a piece for voice and piano being lumped in as "piano music" as well. It's as if the vocal part were secondary.

and writing for voice has its own unique difficulties, which fall quite outside the realm of instrumental music.

considering pop music's very nature, it's normal for it to already include the assumption that there will be "songs" with voice, so there's no real need to include a new sub-category there.

I think if someone feels that their vocal music really is "experimental" then they can put it in that forum. There's again no need to create a new sub-category.

I am of the opinion that choral and vocal music is in a class of its own.

I am of the opinion that choral and vocal music is in a class of its own.

This is probably true. However, as Nico says, it's also a question of demand, or more accurately, use of the forum. We want our categories to be as concise and efficient as possible.

A large-scale choral work would indeed be out of place in both Chamber and Orchestral, but I don't see the need to create a whole new forum for a genre that isn't seen all that often around here.

I hate to hijack this thread, but as long as we're talking about forums and the like, could we think about separating "Other" out of the Experimental and Atonal forums?

lets face it atonal music is "other"

this is also another one I find strange.

checking the experimental forum and coming across baroque pastiche... it's just weird.

My thoughts exactly. Including "Other" with atonal and experimental music sets certain expectations for the kinds of things one finds in that forum, and for me, those expectations are rarely met, mostly because "Other" is there.

And, you could post vocal music... what if we seperated them into other and vocal?

"Other" could be dropped from the Experimental/Avant-Garde forum title and given its own corner, but that would likely entail a lengthy job for the mods in that existing material should probably re-categorised appropriately. We have done things like this in the past where all of the mods agree to browse once a day and move two or three threads, so it wouldn't be unprecedented. Plus we have the reviewers as well this time around.

Will see what everyone else thinks. :angry:

In response to the addition of a Choral or Voice section, I whole-heartedly agree that there should be a section for this kind of music. Unfortunately, this group takes on a definite "instrumental" approach to composing, and I've had a hard time finding a place to include my choral and vocal pieces (of which I've written 4 total) and are all seperately organized (I have 2 in Chamber, 1 in orchestral, and 1 in Major Works). I think choral/vocal writing is a very important part of any compositional network, and there definitely should be a place for it.

I do not, however, think this would also require subcategories in all the other sections. There simply is no place for vocal writing (specifically) anywhere in this forum. Therefore, I fully endorse a choral section in this website. To exclude one would be similar to refusing choral writing as a legitimate compositional forum.

Has any new thought come to this at all? I'm still very interested in a choral section here.

Now this is a discussion of categorization. The simple point of not having a choral forum is: there would not be enough music being written to fill it. I've seen a grand total of 3 choral works in the year I've been here. It wouldn't work, and its a pointless waste of space.

There have to be more than that: I've posted three already if my memory recalls, and I've seen others than my own.

Us staff will revisit the issue. For reasons I can't quite recall, we didn't manage to follow through with anything the last time around.

I want to right a Latin mass. I have the themes and the ideas.

It won't be bad a idea to have a choral section.

I want to right a Latin mass. ... It won't be bad a idea to have a choral section.

I want to wrong a Latin mass...but I think a choral section would be redundant.

Redundant how? Writing for voices is completely different than writing for instruments. By that fact alone it makes sense to have a choral section to it's own. It's not "Orchestral" unless it is accompanied by orchestra. It's not "Piano" music because lots of choral pieces are written for a cappella. It's not "Chamber" unless it is written to be sung by a chamber group, but most choral music is written for a large chorus. It's not a major work unless it's a Cantata, Opera, or something of equal magnitude. Therefore, I don't see how Choral music can easily be placed into any other category. Perhaps if there were a new section, writing for chorus would be more intriguing to people.

I'm starting to see your point, Sean.

The mod/admin staff is monitoring this, and we'll discuss it further.

And, you could move all of the existing choral works on the site to the section so that might reduce the lack of choral works here... just a thought.

A Choral forum has now been created:

http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/choral-vocal.html

If any of you feel the description needs altering, let me know.

We'll try to move some existing threads in there sooner or later.

It is lovely... now for some pieces!