Choral music

Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music is a much loved vocal work that pays tribute to the greatness of Shakespeare. Here, we explore the work's history and its enduring appeal. 

An interview with composer Ann Callaway about the art of writing choral music.

Girl choristers singing in the cathedrals of the United Kingdom have become an increasingly common sight (and sound) but this wasn’t always the case. David Hill, Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral from 1987 to 2002, and his daughter, Alison, who attended Salisbury, the first cathedral to admit girl choristers, reflect on their experiences.

Ülo Krigul sings with the Estonian National Male Choir and offers some interesting insights into the strong grounding choral singing has in Estonia’s education system, news of the amazing festival where thousands of singers meet to make music together, and his thoughts on the Baltic bass sound.

One need only watch television programmes featuring Gareth Malone to witness the appetite for community singing. Many claims are made about the supposed health benefits of joining a choir, but how much truth is there in this? Rohan Shotton bursts a few bubbles…

After you’ve had your appetite whetted by hearing some of the great choral works – what should you explore next? Jane Shuttleworth leads you gently by the hand down the choral byways to recommend some hidden choral gems.

March is Choral Month at Bachtrack! Choral music has the power to touch the lives of many people. Take a look at our articles exploring different aspects of choral music, from performing to composition. 

Out articles highlighting a few ‘hidden gems’ of the choral repertory have generated plenty of interest on Twitter, proving how choral music really strikes a resonant chord in listening habits around the world. We threw the selection process open to allow you to suggest the choral pieces which you think deserve greater recognition… and you haven’t disappointed us! 

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt talks about the current popularity of choral music. We also discover from Maris Hellrand why choral singing in Estonia is so vibrant. 

Without it, there would not be over 80 cathedral and college choirs throughout Britain, nor hundreds of smaller parish choirs. There would not be thousands of amateur choruses  up and down the country. We wouldn’t stand up for the “Hallelujah” chorus, nor tune in to the carol service from King’s College Cambridge every Christmas, nor sing Jerusalem at sporting occasions.

Johannes Prinz of the Wien Singverein answers our questions about the choral scene in Vienna. 

Most of us started singing whilst at school. Teacher Alan Coady explores the benefits that choral singing brings, drawing on his personal experiences about the collective power that singing can realise.

Grant Gershon, Music Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, took some time out of his schedule to answer our Bachtrack questions about the choral scene in Los Angeles. We were keen to find out which styles of choral music are engaging audiences there and how healthy the situation is with young singers joining the choral scene.

Choral music is now hugely popular with audiences and performers alike. Following our Hidden Choral Gems article, Penny Homer takes us into the world of choral music of today, pointing out some lesser-known works which deserve to be shared amongst Bachtrack's audience. 

Composer Ben Parry offers an insight into the world of writing music for choral forces. How do you select suitable texts? To write an accompaniment or not? How to write for particular voices and venues?

What is the secret behind the “Swedish choral miracle”? Even though singing was always big in the country that produced an extraordinary number of vocal talents, including Jenny Lind and Birgit Nilsson, one person is generally credited with the popularity of this pastime: Eric Ericson.

Greg Beardsell explains his work with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain Training Choir in collaborating with performers from different genres, to explore different perspectives which can enrich both sets of groups.