Usually, choirs consist of a mix of soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices. This ensemble type is often abbreviated as SATB.
More experienced choirs may sing with the voices all mixed. However, this approach requires more independence from each singer. It also eliminates the spatial separation of voice lines and removes sectional resonance, which lowers the overall volume of the group. For more information, click the Traditional Choral Music to proceed.
A traditional choral ensemble has at least four members who sing in harmony. The highest voice typically sings the melody, while the lower parts harmonize with it. The highest and lowest voices are usually soprano or alto and tenor or bass, although other arrangements are possible. Most choral music is written for four-part harmony, though other arrangements for three-, five–, six–, and eight-part harmony are also common.
The most common use of traditional choral music is to perform religious works, including masses and requiems. Other pieces, such as anthems, oratorios, and opera and musical theatre songs, may also be performed by choirs. Many choral groups also specialize in contemporary classical music, which requires the group to be highly trained and focused on performance.
Historically, most choral music has been polyphonic – that is, it has been composed with multiple melodic lines overlapping one another. Today, however, there are a number of contemporary composers who write a cappella (without accompaniment by instruments) works that often still sound choral. These pieces are not considered to be choral in the truest sense, and they are not usually part of the traditional choral repertoire.
In the 17th century, a new type of sacred choral music was emerging in Germany, consisting of instrumentally accompanied church cantatas that were based on chorale tunes. Eventually, this form dominated the German choral repertory, with major contributions from Dietrich Buxtehude, Georg Philipp Telemann, and Johann Sebastian Bach.
While some choral musicians are self-taught or learn their craft from family members, most of them receive formal training from a choir director or conductor. The choral director is essentially the leader of the choir, and the role is normally held by a professional musician with extensive experience in performing this type of music. The choral director may or may not use a baton when conducting but is normally expected to know how to read music.
The creation of a choral arrangement (or any other derivative work) from a preexisting work is subject to copyright law, and the creator of a choral arrangement must have permission from the original song’s author or songwriter. This is especially important if the resulting piece incorporates a portion of the original work that is protected under copyright.
The beginnings of choral music can be traced back to the medieval period, from 500 to 1400 AD. This period marked the development of notated music for vocal ensembles, including the famous Gregorian chant. Choral music in unison focuses on singing melodies together and has the power to create deep emotion through the combined voices. Many cultures around the world have strong harmony singing traditions.
The early surviving choral repertoire consists of monophonic pieces sung in unison, such as the Delphic Hymns and Seikilos epitaph discovered in 1893 by French archaeologist Theophile Homolle at Delphi and the burial site of the ancient Greek chorus member Seikilos near Ephesus. During the Renaissance, polyphony began to develop with more than one singer per part. This led to the formation of the choir as we know it today.
By the 17th century, choral music was often accompanied by instruments. This grew even more popular during the Baroque period and became even more integrated into musical structures as opera was introduced. During this time, composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach developed his large cantata and motet repertoire.
Modern-day choral music has a wide range of styles. Its complexity has increased and a number of modern-day composers have pushed the boundaries of what we consider to be choral music, such as Karl Jenkins, Nico Muhly, Augusta Read Thomas and Sofia Gubaidulina.
While there are some choral groups that are not affiliated with any church, the genre is an integral part of Western classical music and, in fact, most cultures worldwide have a rich tradition of harmony singing. Despite the association of choral music with Christianity, the connection to religious music is fading, and many people today enjoy it in a secular way.
The ability to sing in a choir is a rare skill. There are not a lot of people who can do it well, and most young singers are trained for careers on the concert stage and in opera. This is why a good ensemble requires an incredible level of commitment and training to perform at the highest levels. Expecting a generalist singer to be able to sing like an elite choir musician is unrealistic and unfair. It also stifles the evolution of this beautiful art form.
Choral music typically requires the participation of many voices that create harmony with one another. The number of voices required varies depending on the composition. Usually a choir will consist of two (SS), three (SSA) or four (SATB) voice parts. A choral group may also sing unison, with all members singing the same line or in parts that differ from one another in range, with the higher lines harmonising the lower ones (SSAA). The use of different vocal ranges is commonly known as counterpoint.
During the Renaissance, the choral genre developed from Gregorian chant into a more sophisticated polyphonic form. This new style introduced a number of new vocal elements to the music, such as independent, interwoven melodies, and more complex harmonic structures. The highest achievements in choral music during this period include the motet and the mass, both types of Latin religious compositions. Other types of choral music developed during the Renaissance as well, such as secular anthems, including Henry Purcell’s famous verse anthems.
The term choral often refers to a mixed choir, an adult group that consists of soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices (abbreviated SATB). However, mixed choirs can also be unison choirs, where all members sing the same line or in two (SSA) or three (SSAA) part groups. Young children’s choirs often sing in unison, and some adult mixed choirs only have soprano or alto parts.
Some singers prefer to perform choral works with the voices separated rather than mixed together. Especially in the case of music for multiple solo voices, this approach allows for greater expression from each individual singer and better separation of musical strands. The opposite approach, where all the voices are combined, is sometimes recommended for performances of certain works such as Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem.
The term choral music can be used to describe a variety of musical styles, from classical to contemporary. The latter includes choral arrangements of preexisting works, which require permission from the composer or copyright owner to be created and performed. Creating an arrangement of a song without the proper permission is an infringement of the composer’s copyright and can lead to prosecution.
A variety of groups, from small, close-knit choirs to huge, world-renowned ensembles can perform choral music. It can also be performed with or without accompaniment (though it is a bit of a stretch to call what is usually called a cappella music ‘choral’).
Many modern classical composers have used choruses to great effect, but there are countless examples throughout history. Some of the most famous are the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, whose large scale and impressive musical virtuosity have made them a household name; they perform regularly at presidential inaugurations. Another is Elgar’s Enigma Variations, an a cappella work that uses simple melodic intervals to convey deep emotions and explore the big questions of life, death and immortality.
In the Middle Ages, when most choral music was monophonic, it was typically the preserve of professional soloists. With the development of modern notation and improved techniques, choral singing gradually began to take on more complex textures. The result was the emergence of what is often termed ‘choral’ music, with its blend of voices, harmonies and rhythms that make up a whole.
Traditionally, there are several different voice parts in a choral ensemble, from soprano to bass. The highest voice is soprano, the alto voice is a little lower than the soprano and the tenor is a bit higher again.
The use of multiple voices can help achieve a range of sounds and textures, but the number of singers required can also influence the overall performance. The most effective way to balance the sounds of a choral piece is to split the voices up into sections; this is known as divisi, and it’s a common feature of many choral works. The most common division is between sopranos and altos and tenors and basses, but in more advanced pieces, dividing the upper and lower voices into more than one section each is possible.
Choral music can be a challenge to sing, but it is also an exciting and rewarding art form. It is worth remembering that the sonic and expressive potential of this type of music can only be fully explored when it is performed well. Relying on simplistic stereotypes or worn-out narratives stifles learning and creativity, so it’s important to keep the ears and imagination open to new developments in this centuries-old tradition.
