The Cambridge Companion to Choral Music

Bringing together perspectives on history, global activity and professional development, this Companion provides a unique overview of choral music.

André de Quadros (Edited by)

9780521128957, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 16 August 2012

358 pages, 3 b/w illus. 17 music examples
24.4 x 17.3 x 1.8 cm, 0.71 kg

'Invaluable to both undergraduate and postgraduate music students. It would be a useful addition to a specialist music library or a university library both in this country and abroad.' Lucy Seale, Reference Reviews

Choral music is now undoubtedly the foremost genre of participatory music making, with more people singing in choirs than ever before. Written by a team of leading international practitioners and scholars, this Companion addresses the history of choral music, its emergence and growth worldwide and its professional practice. The volume sets out a historical survey of the genre and follows with a kaleidoscopic bird's eye view of choral music from all over the world. Chapters vividly portray the emergence and growth of choral music from its Quranic antecedents in West and Central Asia to the baroque churches of Latin America, representing its global diversity. Uniquely, the book includes a pedagogical section where several leading choral musicians write about the voice and the inner workings of a choir and give their professional insights into choral practice. This Companion will appeal to choral scholars, directors and performers alike.

Foreword John Rutter
1. Introduction: choral music - a dynamic global genre André de Quadros
Part I. Choral Music: History and Context: 2. A brief anatomy of choirs, c.1470–1770 Andrew Parrott
3. Choral music in the culture of the nineteenth century Chester Alwes
4. Choral music in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries Nick Strimple
5. The nature of chorus Paul Hillier
Part II. Choral Music the World Over: 6. Choral music and tradition in Europe and Israel Leo Samama
7. Canada's choral landscape Patricia Abbott and Victoria Meredith
8. A multiplicity of voices: choral music in the United States Matthew Mehaffey and Kathy Saltzman Romey
9. A hundred years of choral music in Latin America, 1908–2008 María Guinand
10. Choral music in East Asia: China, Japan, and Korea Jing Ling-Tam and Gene J. Cho
11. New voices in ancient lands: choral music in South and Southeast Asia André de Quadros
12. From chanting Quran to singing oratorio: choral music in West and Central Asia Aida Huseynova
13. Voices of the Pacific: the (ch)oral traditions of Oceania Karen Grylls
14. Choral music in Africa: history, content, and performance practice Rudolf de Beer and Wilson Shitandi
Part III. Choral Philosophy, Practice, and Pedagogy: 15. Globalization, multiculturalism, and the children's chorus Francisco J. Núñez
16. Exploring the universal voice Mary Goetze, Cornelia Fales and Wolodymyr Smishkewych
17. Authentic choral music experience as 'good work': the practice of engaged musicianship Doreen Rao
18. The making of a choir: understanding individuality and consensus in choral singing Mike Brewer and Liz Garnett
19. A point of departure for rehearsal preparation and planning Ann Howard Jones
20. Small ensemble rehearsal techniques for choirs of all sizes Simon Carrington
Select bibliography.

Subject Areas: Choral music [AVGC8], Music [AV]