Page 1 of 1

Two-part songs - unaccompanied

Posted: 16 Nov 2008 09:48
by nolinesbarred
I am looking for some two-part, unaccompanied, songs for our small choral ensemble. Because there are so few of us we are sometimes without an entire section (if we have our full complement we have three voices in each section - SATB). Sometimes it's the sopranos who are missing, sometimes the tenors; more rarely the basses and never the entire alto section! It doesn't happen often, but we would like to have some two-part music suitable for male and female voices for those rare occasions.

We sing mainly secular music - particularly madrigals and other early music; also lieder. But we'll try anything.

I don't have enough musical knowledge to know which would be better - SA, TB (we always have both male and female voices)?

Suggestions please.

Re: Two-part songs - unaccompanied

Posted: 16 Nov 2008 10:30
by choralia
Works at CPDL are regularly categorized by voicing and they are searchable (does this word exist in English? :? ) using voicing criteria. See:

http://choralwiki.net/wiki/index.php/Ca ... oral_music

If the presence of altos and basses is more reliable, you may used the AB scores, but only 4 are available. I think TB may be a good alternative (33 works available), with the T part assigned to altos instead.

Max

Re: Two-part songs - unaccompanied

Posted: 16 Nov 2008 21:13
by nolinesbarred
Thanks for your suggestions Max. (And "searchable" certainly does appear in English; sounds like a neologism though, doesn't it?)

Kay