HE PROMOTION of children’s and youth choirs in each and every parish, wherever possible, should be a goal of every pastor and bishop. I think we can all agree on that. But making this happen is no easy task. Many will view a children’s choir as cute, or just for the “little ones.” Others will see it as just for girls, or one more thing in a checklist of “activities” that the over-programmed youth of today are subjected to. It takes a steady hand and a strong personality to start and grow a children’s choir program. The key to success, it seems to me, is to build a strong parent support system. Maybe that’s another post altogether.
Obviously there are many excellent pieces that work well with a children’s choir. Below are three (3) that I have used with great success, along with an “honorable mention” list at the end. I hope that you will find this helpful.
Top Three:
God Be In My Head • Andrea Ramsey
Alliance Music Publications, Inc. (2010)
This anthem is, in a word, beautiful. Beautiful to listen to and beautiful to sing. While the score indicates piano as the accompanying instrument, the organ is more than possible in the hands of an experienced musician.
The text is a famous one, coming from a 1514 Book of Hours from Clare College, Cambridge. Perhaps the most famous setting of this text is by John Rutter. Youth choristers love Ramsey’s setting for its alluring melody and musical challenges, and it would be most suitable for treble voices from 4th grade through high school. The singers will feel like real grownup musicians when their conductor pulls every ounce of expression from the lovely melodic line. The two-part writing is masterfully constructed for both sopranos and altos and vocal ranges are wonderfully appropriate without being extreme. The clearly marked dynamics enhance the meaning of the text, while approachable dissonances are poignant and achingly lovely.
I’ve found that this piece becomes very personal to children who sing it year after year, and it becomes a meaningful valedictory for graduating choristers in a school environment.
Jubilate! • Michael Bedford
St. James Music Press, 2010 (www.sjmp.com)
This delightful piece became a building block of my children’s choir program when we began over a decade ago. It was one of the first pieces that the choir learned to love, and with it, learned to love singing together as a choir. With its simple, syllabic, and memorable melody, this anthem is a jaunty romp. The children seem to love the rhythmic drive and the bouncy offbeat entrances. I’ve found it best suited for singers in the 4-8 grade range.
The accompaniment almost entirely doubles the vocal line which makes this an easy piece to learn. Notably, the text alternates between Latin and English in its setting of Psalm 100. The third and final section, in Latin, is a two-voice canon at the unison , and the final phrase has both parts ascending to the final cadence in thirds, leading to an outburst of “Jubilate!” The final chord, in four parts, is easily performed in as many or few parts as desired.
Equally commendable is the vocal range of the piece. So many works for children are simply set too low, promoting only the use of chest voice. “Jubilate!” sits comfortably on the mid to upper staff, rising regularly to D and E, with a final F#. Let’s keep our children utilizing their gorgeous head voices!
Justice Shall Grow & Flourish • Richard Proulx
Pueri Cantores Choral Series, WLP (2011)
The text is from the Introit for the Feast of St. Joseph (March 19) and comes from Psalm 92:13. Paul French, editor of the choral series, states in the notes that Richard Proulx composed the piece at the age of 20, in the original Latin. His English paraphrase was created in 2019. The octavo is published with both languages printed.
The entire piece is in unison, save for the final divisi on the last chord. The organ part creates a well-regulated pace while attractively doubling the vocal line, either in the top voice or in the alto of the right hand. It is clear that this was composed by an accomplished organist and a sensitive musician. Equally evident is that the vocal melody, while not based on chant, contains those qualities associated with it, and that are so often mentioned in the documents on sacred music. This gentle and noble piece will not take long for most choirs to learn, the text is suitable for many occasions, and the arching and flowing melody will bring out an exceptional choral sound in the hands of a sensitive conductor.
I should also note that within the Pueri Cantores Choral Series is a collection entitled “Praise and Thanksgiving: A Choral Cycle,” a set of four unique and memorable anthems by the famous English composer Colin Mawby.
Eight More:
I should like to mention a few other pieces that have been well-loved and useful in my own work.
In English:
Peter Aston, “I Give You a New Commandment” – Two part. (GIA, RSCM Series)
Malcolm Archer, “I Sing of a Maiden” – Two part (SJMP)
Hal Hopson, “Little Lamb, Who Made Thee” (Choristers Guild)
In Latin:
Gabriel Faure, “Ave Maria” (for more advanced choirs)
Faure, “Pie Jesu” (from the Requiem, op. 48)
Leo Delibes, “O salutaris Hostia” (Two-part)
And finally, it’s important that youth trebles sing with an SATB choir, learning that repertoire and having the responsibility to take the soprano line on their own. These two pieces have been some of the first ones that I’ve used to introduce children to this repertoire.
Gregorio Allegri, “Adoremus in aeternum” (CPDL)
Palestrina, “Sicut cervus”
