CHOIR
ARRANGING FOR CHOIR, PART 2 | Jared Haschek
In Part 1, we looked at some of the music format, can give the listener the impression - right?). Since then we’ve sung everything
theory behind arranging for choir, and how to of two different voices having a conversation. from ‘ah’ to ‘doo wop’, and while it can sound
write parts that both fit the vocal ranges of our • One particularly nice way to use unison is to cheesy, used in the right way at the right time,
choir members, and were musically pleasing. use it for just the opening a line of a section, using vocals purely as instruments can be very
In Part 2, we are going to look at different bar the last word of the line. A line of unison effective. Here are a few ideas:
arranging styles and approaches that can be that finishes with 4-part harmonies on the • Use ‘ah’, ‘oh’, or ‘ooh’ in 4-part harmony
applied throughout a song to create light and final word. Particularly if that word can be to play the role of a keyboard pad. This will
shade within the choir part. harmonized on a particularly juicy chord (see work in any number of places, but a nice way
figure 1) which can create a spine-tinglingly to use it is in a pre-chorus between a unison
ALL TOGETHER NOW beautiful moment. Notice that in this verse and a harmony chorus. In this case,
I realize that a month after writing an article particular example, there is 4 unique notes in an obvious option is to give the melody and
all about writing 4-part choir harmonies, to the final chord - no part is doubling up with lyrics to the sopranos and let the lower parts
suggest unison singing right out of the gate another. This gives us that lovely dissonance might seem a little anti-climactic. However, a between the tenor and bass, which might be • If you want to get a bit more creative, and the
group of people singing a melody in unison can a little challenging for them to nail, but with song isn’t too serious, you can use vocals
be a powerful experience. When I say unison in competent singers, will create a real ‘wow’ to create an accompaniment with some
this context, I mean everyone singing the same moment. rhythmic interest and nonsense lyrics. This
support them harmonically with oohs.
pitch, but not necessarily in the same octave,
kind of writing reminds me of the introduction
so men and women singing an octave apart OOH AHH! to the old David Meece classic, To The Glory
is fine. Some places where unison writing is Nonsense syllables have been a part of singing Of God, that opened with some of the most
particularly effective are: since David used the “ah” of “aaaaaamen” to moving nonsense choir lyrics you’ll ever hear.
• Verse 1: Using unison right at the top of a decorate the end of his psalms. (Admittedly, I • What about turning a lyric into an elongated
song can allow the choir to enter in a simple, have no historical or biblical proof for this, but vowel sound that loses all meaning? This is
understated way, giving them somewhere to David was a gun and it probably happened particularly effective when the choir part is an
go as the song develops.
• In a big section of the song, such as the
FIGURE 1
bridge. This can provide a real power moment
with all the choir belting out an anthemic line
in unison, perhaps even in unison with the
accompaniment as well.
• As a call and response motif. Alternating lines
between full harmony and unison, particularly
if the lyrics are in a ‘question and answer’
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October 2019
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