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arr. Rudolf De Beer - Hal Leonard Coorporation

(Grace Englert)
This is an African piece that's very upbeat! It's used at African weddings as a sign of the end of violence and the welcoming of happiness and peace. To the people of Kwamahsu, it's a song that means victory and was one of many songs that made fun of the Apartheid government. The piece really does have quite a bit of cultural aspects to it and can further people's understanding and cultural knowledge. I think it would have a very empowering message to not only the audience but us ladies in the choir. Doing this piece or any African piece would be so much fun!! I have always wanted to do another really cool African piece ever since I did one in early high school. I would love to help the spread of love and appreciation go around to more people! It's so underrated and I think African pieces should be performed more and this is the perfect opportunity! I really enjoyed it and I hope you do too!

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Amavolovolo by Delano High School Platinum Choir

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“She Walks In Beauty” from Love Shall Love shall love Forever by Gwyneth Walker

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“She Walks In Beauty” from Love Shall Love shall love Forever by Gwyneth Walker

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This collection is beautiful. This is one piece from the collection that I found and liked on YouTube. I love the imagery that this collection creates. I felt like I was walking through a garden with the queen. The music and the words created a place in my head

Bethany Severance

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"She Walks in Beauty" from Love Shall Live Forever by Gwyneth Walker - Still Video

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Three Mountain Ballard arr. by Ron Nelson )(Jazmin Hunt 

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Three Mountain Ballard arr. by Ron Nelson )(Jazmin Hunt 

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These collection of three pieces are beautiful. The tone color of the chord and dissonances are what drew me to this piece. Women's has a reputation of singing beautiful pieces that challenge the ear and the mind. I think Three Mountain Ballads does just that. The pieces are accompanied by a piano. The pieces are called 1) He's Gone Away
2) Will He Remember? and
3) Barbara Allen. Each piece is different and unique in there own ways, but fit so wonderfully together. I think my favorite is the third piece Barbara Allen. The layering of this selection is beautifully written. The piano accompaniment is equally as layered and texture filled.

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Three Mountain Ballads, arr. Ron Nelson - UL Chorale: Women's Chorus

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Jessica Agyekum:
I picked this piece because of how soothing and calming it is. I image myself listening to this piece not only when I want to sleep, but as I pray, thing, do homework, etc. I love how contrasting the lower parts are with the upper parts, and the fact that no part seems dominate to others.
I peronally love soothing music, so this was somthing I drew near to really fast. I also like how quiet the song is. I'm pretty sure the dynamic level didnt pass mezzo piano, and I loved that it just brings warm to my soul. Below is a link to the recording I found on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xPDWyEKppk

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"The Tree of Peace"-Gwyneth Walker(Katie Eckman)

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"The Tree of Peace"-Gwyneth Walker(Katie Eckman)

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When given this assignment, I decided to specifically look for pieces by Gwyneth Walker because she's easily become my favorite modern female composer. This work was composed for an SSAA choir. The text of "The Tree of Peace" was taken from the Quaker poem "O Brother Man," by John Greenleaf Whitaker. The music conveys both the strength that is symbolizes a tree and then also the calmness of peace. Those themes combined create a beautiful work that offers such tranquility but also the urgency in the prayer for peace. I think its very applicable to this season of life that we are in, in this unknown, as we search for peace in this new normal. I hope I can one day be part of a choir that performs this song!

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All-East Women's Choir perform The Tree of Peace

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(AK Alford)
So... I haven't been in choir for awhile, so I hope I'm not sharing something overplayed, but I think this piece is very pretty. I like how it has the mystery of fall, and the arrangement is pretty enchanting in my opinion. It's an easier, lower piece. There's not a lot of high notes in the soprano sections, but I think it would be a great slow, melodic piece to balance out a harder technical piece. There's also a modulation at once point I think sounds gorgeous. Depending on the theme next year for the concert, it could be a really good song.

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Autumn Gives Her Hand (SSAA Choir) - by Keith Loftis

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"Song for a Lily"- Music by Kim Andre Arnesan and lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri

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"Song for a Lily"- Music by Kim Andre Arnesan and lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri

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(Sophia Clark)
This song is so simple, and still I found myself feeling so emotional while listening to it. It was written to honor the loss of a nine year old girl named Lily Kate Powell, she died in a car accident. There is a solo that carries a large majority of the song, but the organ and violin paired with the ensemble parts just has this pull that is difficult to explain. The vocalists on this recording do an outstanding job. The lyrics are so tender and meaningful. I really enjoyed it.

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Kim André Arnesen - Song for a Lily (score video)

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(Madison Golden)

I absolutely LOVE this piece! "Tundra" was composed to resemble the land of Norway and to reveal its hidden beauties. This piece contains so many powerful moments that truly make you feel like you are soaring. I think this piece would be perfect for Women's Ensemble because it is so tender and full of sweet harmonies. By studying "Tundra," our blend would be challenged along with the range of our choir's dynamics. Most of all, I love that this piece provides an opportunity to work with string instruments!

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Tundra (Ola Gjeilo) - VOCO Singapore Ladies Choir

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Gabriel Faure - Cantique de Jean Racine, arr. John Rutter (Renata Kuswanto)

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Gabriel Faure - Cantique de Jean Racine, arr. John Rutter (Renata Kuswanto)

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My main decision to choose this song was because, it's Faure and I really want to work on Faure's choral pieces at some point. Because it's super lyrical and the harmonies are really chromatically beautiful. His work also represents the romanticism in vocal works. This particular piece was originally composed for mixed choir and accompanied by organ. Isn't that wonderful to hear the sound of the organ to accompany the choir? The text "Verbe, égal au Très-Haut" was written in Latin and means "Word, one with the Highest" This phrase was written by Jean Racine and was used in this song. I provided 2 versions of the performances one for only women and the other one is the original version for the mixed choir.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITjvsz0DtP8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPGZuqeuY_E

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Kim André Arnesen "Even When He is Silent" SSAA (Erin Brooks)

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Kim André Arnesen "Even When He is Silent" SSAA (Erin Brooks)

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This piece is arranged based on some words that are said to have been found on the wall of a basement where Polish Jews were hidden during the Holocaust. The text says,
"I believe in the sun,
even when it's not shining.
I believe in love, even when I don't feel it.
I believe in God, even when He is silent."
The piece is very moving, and it is easy to work with the music to build and represent the intense emotion of the text well. As its text is simple, yet immensely deep, its harmonies move from unison through more and more colorful chords, and I think women's ensemble would do a great job of sitting in each new burst of color long enough for an audience to begin to understand the depth of emotion in each simple line. It's also incredibly hopeful, and we could all use a little of that right now i think :)

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Choralia performs Even When He is Silent by Kim André Arnesen

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(Ty Bentley)
I'm not a music student, but I've always loved singing in choir. I love singing but my nerves get to me if i'm not singing in a large group. In 6th grade, I mustered up the courage to finally audition for choir because i wanted to be in so badly. In 7th grade, I was placed in and i couldn't believe it. At our last concert we performed this song. While looking around on the website I came across this piece. It brought back so many memories for me. 12 year old me felt so powerful on the stage when I sang it with our choir. When i looked at the piece all the lyrics came back to me and i know it's not a new piece I am just discovering, but I felt like I had to choose this piece because it has been almost 9 years since I have heard and performed this song. Listening to a recording gave me so many chills. I've noticed that mostly only youth choirs sing it, so clearly it must not be a super complex piece but I would love to hear our group of ladies  sing it

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Windy Nights - Cynthia Gray - WSMS 2004-05 Concert Choir

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"Stars Above and Earth Below" Rob Swenson (Erin Lamb)

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"Stars Above and Earth Below" Rob Swenson (Erin Lamb)

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This piece by Rob Swenson is paired with the poem, "Leaves," by Sara Teasdale. I find this peace to be very simple yet uniquely beautiful. The piece begins in unison and then slowly breaks into unique harmonies reflecting the story that is being told in the text. Through the use of melody, harmony, and accompaniment, this contemplative piece contrasts one's hopes and wishes with what is reality -- the ground beneath our feet. One part of this piece that I really enjoy is the layered section that ends the piece. This was the only SSAA recording of the piece, but I hope you enjoy it. (:

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"Nigra Sum" Pablo Casals (Kelley Monahan) 

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"Nigra Sum" Pablo Casals (Kelley Monahan) 

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This piece was on the list but it wasn't the one by this composer. Pablo Casals writes such enchanting music to this text. While it is very simple, the harmonies make it literally feel like you're in the clouds. There are strong sections of unison that splits into beautiful harmonies that I love. Most of the song is in SA until you are about 3 minutes into the recording and it splits into 4 part with the middle two doubling. Measure 65-78 are probably my favorite measures. You get this beautiful build from the beginning of the song and at these measures it's just a floating release of harmonies. The song ends with a unison line that splits into four part again.

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Pablo Casals - Nigra Sum (women's choir)

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Mia Makaroff "Spes (Hope)" SSAA (Hannah King)

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Mia Makaroff "Spes (Hope)" SSAA (Hannah King)

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I was unable to open the link with all the songs for some reason, so I was forced to listen to the songs already posted here and choose. I picked "Spes" because of the "echo" sound that is created. At first glance, I was going to pick Ave Maria, because it is one of my favorite songs, but I liked this song due to the echoing sounds. It harmonizes really well and I just really enjoy it. I didn't think I would like it at first but after a couple moments of listening, I fell in love with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKeikhsVynM

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Mia Makaroff "Spes(Hope)" SSAA (Julia Hufford)

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Mia Makaroff "Spes(Hope)" SSAA (Julia Hufford)

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Makaroff put together Latin and Sami (a language from Lappland in Northern Sweden). Traditionally the Catholic Church and the Sami's animism and shaminism have conflicted and led to violence between the groups. In 2012 the two groups came together peacefully and asked for forgiveness from the past. Makaroff has taken the idea of hope from this new friendship and has combined proverbs from both languages to make a beautiful piece. I was really drawn to the combination of languages in this piece, but also the intricate harmonies are beautiful. I can't stop listening to this piece!

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Otar Taktakishvili "Sach'idao" SSAA (Bess McIntire)

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Otar Taktakishvili "Sach'idao" SSAA (Bess McIntire)

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Taktakishvili arranged this piece based off the  suite Kartlis Hangebi which was written in 1984. In context to the pieces folk origin, it would be performed before a fight to get the spectators and fighters hyped up. Also, the language of this piece is in Georgian. I love the range of this piece, and how it has the great descent downwards and then almost immediately ascends upwards at its climax. In addition, I love the humming sections with the solo ornamentation on top of it. There is something about this piece that sounds so foreign, yet familiar and warm at the same time.

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Marcus High School Varsity Treble Choir - Topic

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Kartluri hangebi (Kartuli Tunes) : Sach'idao (arr. C. Parr)

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Zebulon M. Highben "And Miriam Sang (Shiru L'Adonai)" SSAA, optional percussion (Sarah Clegg)

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Zebulon M. Highben "And Miriam Sang (Shiru L'Adonai)" SSAA, optional percussion (Sarah Clegg)

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**I got a 404 error when I tried clicking on the link to the list Dr. GM sent, so I went searching on my own and found this**
I absolutely LOVE this song and I think that Women's would sound amazing singing it! The text is a Hebrew setting of Psalm 96 and makes use of the augmented second and challenging polyrhythmic sections that build on each other. The piece begins in a haunting unison with a slow tempo, and eventually transforms into an upbeat contrapuntal piece that is a lot of fun to perform.

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"Music When Soft Voices Die" SSA by David Paul Henry

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"Music When Soft Voices Die" SSA by David Paul Henry

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I love the rich harmonies in this piece! I think our women's choir would sound so beautiful on this song. The poem that this song was inspired by was written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The message of this song is so sweet and pure talking about the endurance of memories of events and sensations.
-Abby Hearn

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Gustav Holst "Ave Maria" SSAA/SSAA (PGM)

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Gustav Holst "Ave Maria" SSAA/SSAA (PGM)

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Holst wrote this piece in 1900 and dedicated it to the memory of his mother. I love how the piece alternates between complicated contrapuntal sections and stately homorhythmic sections. The harmonies are lush and beautiful.