Secular A Cappella Choral Concert Music

Gentle contemporary styling in an a cappella setting gives this a feel reminiscent of The King's Singers. A beautiful text speaks of longing for love and security. "So stay with me, held in my arms. Like

This lovely setting of a message of love and peace is in an accessible a cappella format suitable for any mixed ensemble. It can be used in both sacred and school settings, with an original text that will

The text of this powerful choral work is addressed to anyone facing struggles and it presents an honest affirmation that those struggles are real. Rather than deny the existence of problems or pain, the

American blues icon Ruthie Foster released Mama Said on her 2007 recording The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster. The lyrics are a mother’s advice to her daughter, warning her to "learn

This unaccompanied piece contrasts a simple unison motif with quick ostinato in the lower voices. The homophonic refrain clearly declaims, "All forces have been steadily employed to complete

Originally conceived to be short responses to movements of an eclectic Mass, these four works that make up Responsorials can be performed together or separately. The texts are extracted and adapted

Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem is just as relevant now as when it was written in 1896. Rhythmic ostinatos in this a cappella setting with a notated djembe part heighten the intensity of the historic text that

The message of the recurring refrain, "Let's see what love can do to mend a broken world," is both timely and timeless. The text contrasts what the world sees with how things could be, counseling unity over

An expressive original text that speaks to the healing presence of hope in our lives. Including a solo in a free, soulful style soaring overhead, the musical setting begins reflectively and then builds to a

Clustered cadences, impactful pauses, and a glistening soprano solo characterize this a cappella piece about the stewardship of nature. A beautiful, contemplative addition to a nature-themed concert.

This second movement from For a Breath of Ecstasy is a cappella except for a short introduction and coda. The texture includes a soprano descant in the first and last sections. The middle section

The text is by Rabindranath Tagore, a native of Calcutta whose poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial, but not well known outside Bengal. The mystical and quiet opening gives way

Crossing the Bar, one of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's most famous poems, is set as a journey. This journey begins at sunset in a minor mode and finishes in the relative major after having crossed the

This beautiful a cappella arrangement was commissioned by Cantus for their album A Harvest Home. Written as a companion piece to the setting of Simple Gifts, this arrangement sounds traditionally

This setting of one of Petrarch's sonnets alternates homophonic chorale texture with melody and supporting vocal accompaniment. The lyrical quality of the writing lends itself to a beautiful sonic

Beginning simply with soprano 1 in unison, this setting of the traditional text builds to a gorgeous full four-part contrapuntal Amen. The text then repeats, this time homophonically in four parts, with a

"Work is love made visible." Based on poetry that blends Christianity and Sufism (Islamic mysticism), the text is adapted from a chapter of The Prophet by Lebanese-American author Kahlil Gibran. It

This is a richly harmonic setting of a Christina Rossetti poem about holding on to the memories of one who has departed.

"Will there really be a 'Morning?' Is there such a thing as 'Day?' Could I see it from the mountains if I were as tall as they?" This gentle and poignant musical setting focuses on the hope inherent in

This setting for SSAA chorus is an arrangement from Stephen Chatman's original set, Due West for SATB chorus, commissioned by the Vancouver Chamber Choir in 1997. The charming text by Tara Wohlberg

In this first piece of a set called Two Pickthall Songs, the poet asks the wind to be still, life to be sufficient, and time to be merciful. Each line of the poem is set to its own unique musical

Based on an Inuit proverb, this reflective piece sets a mood of contemplation by using a leisurely text rhythm and lush chords. The proverb's counterpoint to the title is that stars are our