Beyond the basic rules
The rules of four-part writing (voice leading, doublings, parallel fifths) are in the sheet “Four-Part SATB Writing”. Here we deal with writing for a real choir: tessitura, text, breath, divisi, density, color. References: Aldwell-Schachter for voice leading, the English cathedral tradition (Royal School of Church Music), contemporary choral music (Whitacre, Lauridsen, Rutter, Arvo Pärt).
Tessitura before range
A choir sings well when each section sits in its comfortable tessitura for most of the piece (see Vocal Ranges). A practical rule: extreme notes are touched, not held. Example: sopranos up to G5 for a long note at forte in the climax; the rest of the time between D4 and D5.
Spacing
- At most an octave between soprano and alto and between alto and tenor; between tenor and bass it can reach a twelfth.
- Close position (the three upper voices within an octave): compact, homogeneous sound.
- Open position: wide, resonant sound, ideal for climaxes.
- Avoid close thirds in the low register (basses and tenors a third apart below C3).
Divisi: SSAATTBB and beyond
- Divisi double the harmonic possibilities but halve the volume of each part: for a choir of 24, an 8-part divisi means 3 voices per part.
- Typical divisi: sopranos in thirds for an open chord, basses in octaves for the foundation (B1 or C2 with deep basses).
- Clusters: chords of stepwise notes (seconds), widely used in contemporary choral music. Eric Whitacre, Lux Aurumque (2000): chords with added seconds that “shine” when the choir is well in tune.
Chords and tensions in the choir
- A choir tunes by ear: tensions (9, 11, 13) are easier if they arrive by step and if the tension note is prepared in another voice.
- Common tones held between chords help intonation.
- Add9 and sus chords are characteristic of modern choral music (Morten Lauridsen, O Magnum Mysterium, 1994).
Text and choral prosody
- Syllabic (one note per syllable) for clarity; melismatic for expression.
- Put final consonants together in all voices (mark them in the score: “close the n on beat 3”).
- Open vowels on long high notes.
- The text must be understandable: if all voices sing different words in counterpoint, the text is lost (solved with homorhythmic passages at key points).
Changing tessituras and roles
- Melody to the tenors or altos: with the other voices accompanying on “oo” or “mm”.
- Humming (closed mouth): choral pad, soft, excellent under a soloist.
- Vocal ostinato: one section repeats a figure (often the basses) while the others sing the theme.
- Antiphony: two half-choirs answering each other (double choir, the Venetian tradition of Giovanni Gabrieli).
Breath
Every long phrase must have marked breathing points; for very long notes use staggered breathing: each singer breathes at a different moment, so the sound stays continuous.
Examples
- Rachmaninoff, Vespers op. 37 (1915): wide divisi and deep basses.
- Samuel Barber, Agnus Dei (1967, choral arrangement of his Adagio for Strings).
- Eric Whitacre, Lux Aurumque; Arvo Pärt, Magnificat (1989) with the tintinnabuli technique.
Practice exercise
Harmonize for SATB choir (with SSAATTBB divisi in the climax) a 4-line text in D major. Use at least: a humming passage under a soprano solo, an add9 chord prepared by step, a three-note cluster in divisi sopranos, an open-position climax with the sopranos on F#5 for two bars. Mark all the breaths.
Links
Four-Part SATB Writing, Vocal Harmonies and Voicing for Choir, Vocal Ranges, Film Choir, Canon and Imitation.