ChoralTracks.com

For budding choir groups out there, here's a great site which would be of tremendous help, and should be on your browser's favourite list alongside cpdl.org. The man behind this is Matthew Curtis, who sang every part of every piece featured on this site! If you have no idea who Matthew Curtis is, perhaps Chanticleer would ring a bell, as Matthew also currently sings with this world-renowned group.

Bruckner's Tota pulchra es Maria

In honour of Our Lady in this month dedicated to her.

Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium

Sung by the UST Alumni Singers (The Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, Philippines). Another fine example of modern, yet liturgically sound, sacred music.

O Sanctissima

This was sung as the offertory hym on the 15th Sunday after Pentecost 2007.

Domine, non sum dignus (Victoria)

Renaissance polyphony

Enjoy some beautiful Renaissance pieces especially those sung by the Tallis Scholars.

Nunc Dimittis by G.P. Palestrina sung by the Tallis Scholars.

Vigilate by William Byrd sung by the Tallis Scholars.

If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis sung by the New Chamber Orchestra Choir.

Marian motets

With May coming soon, most choirs would be selecting mainly Marian motets for their practice. Sacred Heart Choir wouldn't be any different, as the next Sunday Mass will be on May 13, which is also dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. Several versions of Ave Maria comes to mind once I looked at CPDL. However we are constrained to short pieces (scores not more than 2 pages) and no more than 4 voices, given the size of the congregation and the small number of singers that we have. If you have other suitable suggestions, do drop me a note or leave a comment.

In the meantime, here are several clips of Chanticleer (one of my favourite groups), singing Franz Biebl's Ave Maria as well as another unknown track. I posted a similar clip by another group here, and I have to admit, Biebl's Ave Maria never fails to give me goosebumps whenever I hear it sung. Beautiful!

Victimae Paschali Laudes

As we are still in Paschaltide, here's another great Youtube clip featuring a slightly different version of Victimae Paschali Laudes, the sequence sung during the entire Paschal octave. The melody still follows the Gregorian chant version, but with some polyphony added in.

Cantus singing Ave Maria

This is very nice. Too bad these kind of music are only appreciated in a secular setting.