Secular A Cappella Concert Music

Drawn from the music of the Shaker communities of Kentucky, this simple, effective setting is appropriate for younger voices and is a great teaching tool for exploring the historical context of this

A beautiful a cappella piece for double choir set to George Herbert's poem Vertue. One of the VOCES8 series, this work premiered in 2019.

Composed for the Los Angeles Children's Chorus, this rhythmically challenging work with changing meters and stretched tonalities pairs well with William Blake's Songs of Innoncence.

The heartbreaking words of Trent Reznor have connected with listeners in the Nine Inch Nails original, Johnny Cash's cover version, and now the contemporary choral sound of Eric Whitacre. Dissonances based

A whirling circle dance, the exuberance of youth, kaleidoscopic images of rural life and love - all are captured in Alexander Blok's poem and artfully set to music. Filled with dramatic dynamic contrasts

A tenderly expressive evening prayer for peace and forgiveness, based on a poem by Nicholas Ogarev, shows Tchaikovsky at his Romantic best! The composer wrote three settings of this text, this being the

The healing power of time is beautifully represented in this tender piece for unaccompanied chorus. Narverud's gentle repetitions of the words "healing heart" and cluster chord ostinatos show us how, with

A poignant poem by Shelley set so that the combination of the poem and the music are permeated with passion, melancholy, and sweetness.

This joyous unaccompanied work for more advanced treble choirs combines two texts about hope - one in Sami  and the other in Latin - to create a work that uplifts both the singer and the audience.

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

This work is an a cappella SATB divisi unaccomapnied setting of a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The text remembers a departed friend through the seasons of the year. All of nature's elements are in

In this fast and energetic piece, Quartel sets her own text celebrating the joy of singing. The melody weaves in and out of the texture, supported by dynamic vocal accompaniment and rhythmically driven by

This lyrical setting of Sara Teasdale's poem starts with a reflective and contemplative tone that shifts dramatically to a more joyous expression celebrating the power of singing - alone and collectively -

This a cappella setting opens by asking the question, "What song can I bring in thanks for everything?" The answer comes from a rhythmic response setting from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: "I can no

"Somewhere I have never traveled is the place I want to be." Thomas H. Troeger's thought-provoking text is presented in an a cappella setting for mixed or treble choirs. This piece showcases the opportunity

This work is an energetic reimagining of timeless text and tune from the 12th-century poet, composer, and philosopher Hildegard of Bingen. The marriage of the Caritas Abunda chant with a text taken

Originally published in the collection Sun, Moon, Sea, and Stars, this piece sets a poem by Sara Teasdale that likens a heart seeking its love to a swallow's cry. Chydenius's rich harmonies,

This text uses the metaphor of a red house buried in a snowy landscape to describe the perseverance of the human heart as the body ages, speaking to the resilience of humanity in the face of adversity. The

"All round the knoll, on days of quietest air, secrets are being told...." So begins the hauntingly beautiful poem Ryton Firs by Lascelles Abercrombie. This work aspires to capture a single moment,

The choral writing reflects the ebb and flow of life that this marvelous poem by Yeats depicts. With divisi throughout, this a cappella work is full of wonderful harmonic moments that leave the singer and

"I have noticed joy, how it threads below the darkness..." This moving work  expresses what it means to have hope. Laura Foley's incredible yet simple poem is brought to life with a steady melody and

The beautiful words of Charles Anthony Silvestri describe how the simplest actions can have profound results. Delicate melodies unfold to rich a cappella harmonies, then soar to glorious heights - reminding

This folk-song setting of a famous poem by one of Scotland's greatest poets has been beautifully crafted by the Canadian-born composer Sarah McDonald. Accessible and artistically rewarding, it is suitable

One of a series, all premiered and recorded by the vocal ensemble VOCES8, this a cappella work is challenging, with independent parts, and a rich and diverse harmonic vocabulary.