Why This Book?

This is a book about the analysis of contemporary choral music. We do not have a strict definition of “contemporary,” but we will emphasize music written since roughly 1990. While there are many resources in the world about analyzing choral music, most of these were written by and for choral directors, centering the practical concerns of someone preparing for rehearsal and performance. This book will also address these practical concerns but complement them with a broader perspective that embraces music theory and analysis for their own sake. As such, this book is not only for choral directors but for anyone who wishes to appreciate contemporary choral music on a deeper level or explore approaches to music analysis.

This book assumes a basic college-level understanding of music theory, including particularly keys, time signatures, and chords.  We will build on these fundamental systems to develop methods of analysis for contemporary choral music, and to give example applications of those methods.

The book is the work of the students in an upper-level music theory elective at Utah State University titled “Analysis of Contemporary Choral Music.” Many of the students in the course are choral directors-in-training, and all of the students have been engaging with the analysis of contemporary choral music.

The approach to analysis is broken into five parts, each focused on a single analytical parameter: Text, Form, Rhythm and Meter, Texture, and Harmony. These parameters cannot be understood completely independently, but it is useful to focus on them one at a time. Additional important parameters like melody and consonance/dissonance are not specifically listed here, though they are discussed here and there.  Nevertheless, there is plenty more that could be said about these!

This approach to analysis helps focus on the different aspects of a piece in order to structure rehearsals, provide opportunities for furthering musicianship, and make performance decisions based on musical ideas in a piece. It also provides an opportunity for a fuller response to music, and it can be a lot of fun.

Our Core Repertoire

The pieces of music used as examples in this text were taken from the list of core repertoire used in the course. These pieces were taken largely from conference reading lists created by the American Choral Directors Association, but additional pieces were added based on specific approaches and devices used, and also their common performance.

• “She Lingers On” (2021) by Zanaida Robles
• “The Bird’s Lullaby” (2020) by Sarah Quartel, Text by E. Pauline Johnson
• “Turlotte acadienne montréalaise” (2020) by Marie-Claire Saindon
• “Mother to Son” (2018) by Gwyneth Walker, Text by Langston Hughes
• “The Embers Tell” (2018) by Mattea Williams
• “The Music of Stillness” (2017) by Elaine Hagenberg, Text by Sara Teasdale
• “O Love” (2016) by Elaine Hagenberg, Text by George Matheson
• “Fire Flowers” (2015) by Timothy Corlis, Text by E. Pauline Johnson
• “Great God Almighty” (2013) work song arr. Stacey V. Gibbs
• “Even When He is Silent” (2012) by Kim André Arnesen, Text by Anonymous
• “Earth Song” (2006) by Frank Ticheli
• “Weep No More” (1998) by David Childs, Text by John Keats
• “She Weeps Over Rahoon” (1995) by Eric Whitacre, Text by James Joyce

While the pieces listed above are the primary examples that will be included in the general chapters, other pieces chosen by the students will be included as case studies later in the book.