E HAVE recently been singing polyphony for three voices—whereas most choirs focus on SATB—and I’ve been extremely pleased with the results. Could this have something to do with how each vocal line sounds so “pure” in music written for three parts? Perhaps.
Here’s a lovely setting of the GLORIA which twice breaks into polyphony for three voices. A short excerpt demonstrates this:
* * Mp3 File • Short Excerpt (3 voices)
Once your choir knows the piece, encourage them to read directly from the 15th-century notation—included in the following PDF—because this often heightens musicality:
* * PDF Download • GLORIA II with Polyphony by Morales
For years, Gloria II struck me “dark,” but eventually it became one of my favorites.
Rehearsal files:
