Thread: Your top choral pieces?

Ah, thank you for reminding me, MI. I love the War Requiem- truly one of the great vocal works of the 20th century.

Originally Posted by BuddhaBandit

Ah, thank you for reminding me, MI. I love the War Requiem- truly one of the great vocal works of the 20th century.

Yes, it is a great. Everybody needs to hear this piece.

Now, I'm patiently awaiting the arrival of a Walton recording that has "In Honour of the City of London." I heard this is a gorgeous piece of music.

David Fanshawe: African Sanctus

Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony
Mahler: Symphony No. 8
Bach: Mass In B Minor
Mozart: Requiem

Originally Posted by classichick

I know they're all very popular pieces, but I love them!

Who says you can't love popular pieces?

Bachs Magnificat.

And im a sucker for requiems.

Handel's Messiah, because of the way the music fittingly conveys the power of the words. It conveys an understanding of the overall message of the Bible that is almost entirely absent from modern discussions of religion. I think it is a shame that people perform and listen to this great work without a proper understanding of what Handel was doing, and of what any of the words mean. I can understand that people love the music, which is great, but... anyway, rant over.

I also love Allegri's miserere, The choral part of Beethoven's Ninth (Symphony), and Zadok the Priest by Handel. I have recently heard snatches of Rachmaninoff's Vespers which was beautiful. I think I should explore more, and I need more Faure too. I only have a couple of snatches of his requiem.

Originally Posted by Cortision

Handel's Messiah, because of the way the music fittingly conveys the power of the words. It conveys an understanding of the overall message of the Bible that is almost entirely absent from modern discussions of religion. I think it is a shame that people perform and listen to this great work without a proper understanding of what Handel was doing, and of what any of the words mean. I can understand that people love the music, which is great, but... anyway, rant over.

I'm very pleased reading this here! The man who assembled Handel's libretto (one Charles Jennens) had an excellent grasp of theology, pulling passages out of the prophetic portions of the Old Testament that fit like a glove (Isaiah 9:6, for example). Messiah is a wonderful testament to the unity of Scripture, a masterpiece whose music is inseparable from the truth of God's Word.

I encourage everyone to check out Mendelssohn's choral work. The thing I like about Herr Mendelssohn-Bartholy is his throwback to the composers of days gone by; some might say he was 'regressive' in a time when it was hip to be 'progressive,' but I don't think that should stop us from enjoying his genuinely excellent music. The choruses in his Lobgesang, for instance, are powerfully constructed and pack a magnificent punch. He also has some truly heavy-hitting choruses in his two oratorios that will strike you to your core. An excellent composer of choral music - as well as other genres, might I add!

Lotti - Crucifixus
Biebel - Ave Maria

Moses Hogan -- Joshua fit the Battle, Elijah Rock
Rene Clausen -- Set Me as a Seal, If Music be the Food of Love

Byrd - Masses for 3, 4, 5 voices
Ligeti - Requiem
Durufle - Requiem
Penderecki - many choral works, eg. Dies Irae (Auschwitz Oratorio), Symphony No. 8 'Songs of Transience,' etc.
Ramirez - Misa Criolla, etc.
Arvo Part - many choral works
Varese (something more 'out there') - Nocturnal, Equatorial...

Schoenberg - Gurre-Lieder

Brahms's Nanie
Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms
Michael Haydn's Requiem

Ramirez - Misa Criolla

THAT. IS. BEAUTIFUL. My choir loved it.

Bruckner's Mass in F minor

Simply because I don't think anyone else has said it, I'll say Dvorak's Requiem first, but I was planning on this instead:

Ein Deutsches Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem!!!