English Folk songs for Choirs?

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 15 Jun 08 - 08:23 AM

And I should have said Ian Russell has arranged a lot of the "Sheffield" carols - It may bew worth contacting Village Carols to see if they have any of the books left from the various festivals held in the past.

And - early warning - it's this year for the festival.

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 15 Jun 08 - 07:03 AM

Not traditional folk, but folk-y: You could try the original 1582 version of Gaudete from Piae Cantiones, which I remember singing as a four-part, and Steeleye re-worked as (I think) a three-part - their verse melody was quite different, though nicer, but the refrain was the same. Certainly my handwritten score, done by a friend, had at least four lines. We used to busk it in the pubs around Christmas. It's certainly lively and pleasing.

Link here which may be of some interest: Andrew Greenhill

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Jun 08 - 05:32 AM

It depends entirely upon your choir though... a classically trained chorus doing folk songs always sounds too 'stuffy', the songs sound stilted or forced and they don't seem to flow as naturally as a group of people in a singaround would. It's a difference you have to accept if you've got a formal choir who have little or no exposure to folk song except through 'Singing Together' on the radio when they were at school, or the jokey 'finger in the ear' stuff seen on TV all too often.

There are lots of arrangements, it's up to the musical director and the choir members themselves to bring them to life.

LTS

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Bonecruncher
Date: 14 Jun 08 - 08:55 PM

No-one has yet mentioned Sir Hugh Roberton, conductor of the Glasgow Orpheus Choir.
One of the songs he wrote was "The Mingulay Boat Song". Many folk songs were arranged by him for the Choir.
Colyn.

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Folkiedave
Date: 14 Jun 08 - 04:17 AM

I am not sure where you are - but another approach is to take some local folk songs (get the choir to do the research) and get someone to arrange them.

Not being a musician absolves me from any work in that latter respect!

This has been done succesfully elsewhere.

Someone who does this is Ali Burns in Castle Douglas

www.aliburns.co.uk

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 14 Jun 08 - 04:09 AM

"English Folk Songs for Choirs?"

Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 13 Jun 08 - 04:54 PM

Ty looking at the Sheffield Folk Choir with arrangements by Graham Pratt

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Saro
Date: 13 Jun 08 - 08:02 AM

I've arranged quite few trad songs for choirs - even Paul Sartin uses some of them for his choir, so I guess they are OK - send me a PM for more information.
Saro

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work
Date: 13 Jun 08 - 05:20 AM

East London Chorus (sorry, can't do a blicky at work) recently performed the George Shearing arrangements of a couple of Shakespear's sonnets - at a pinch they could be considered folk songs - arranged for SATB. They're quite fun to do but will drive you nuts.

LTS

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: BobB
Date: 12 Jun 08 - 09:19 PM

Our choir here in Toronto Canada sang Country Life in SATB a few years ago. I'm not sure who arranged it but I could find out should you want me to.

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: T in Oklahoma (Okiemockbird)
Date: 12 Jun 08 - 08:12 PM

I don't care at all for RVW's arrangement or "Christmas Now is Drawing Near." It sounds silly and affected. In the end I worked out my own simple setting, using just 5 chords: F, C, Dm, Am, and Bflat.

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: My guru always said
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 02:38 AM

Wonderful stuff Chaps - thanks everyone - we'll definitely be able to find suitable songs among all this lot! I'll have a slow browse through tomorrow when I get a bit more time.

Many thanks for all suggestions, links & offers of lend etc. You guys are just fantastic, I just knew you'd get us sorted ::-)

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 04:38 PM

Oxford Book of Carols has loads of arrangements of folk songs!

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Burke
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 12:42 PM

Take a look at West Gallery Music Association

Gallery Music and Psalmody includes information and free sheet music.

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 12:35 PM

You could try the Celtic Choir for ideas, or my choir

Achill Choral Society, who do have a few. I know our choir lends out music "locally" sorry I don't know where you are. I am sure the librarian would send you a couple of copies for "assessment" purposes if you pick up the postage and copying charges.
Our choir seem to hate RVW arrangements, because mostly they are bloody difficult.
On a personal note, after singing folk music for 40 or so years (yes I started very early) and in the choir for the past 16 or so. My wife was involed before I was. CHOIRS should NOT be allowed anywhere near folksongs. The invariably RUIN them. But don't let that stop you. The choral listening public in most cases have no idea what the songs should sound like before that they get arranged to death and then further customized by a choral director. Or was I trying to say, it's not part of the Oral Tradition IMHO.
Keep singing anyhow :)
JohnB

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Peg
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 12:08 PM

we did the arrangement for "I Love my Love" in high school; it's difficult and challenging but very beautiful. You need some good tenors!

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Willa
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 11:59 AM

SATB
I have copies of these:
Brisk Young Widow
Westering Home
Billy Boy
Begone Dull Care
The Drummer and the Cook
Soldier, Soldier

All from Roberton Publications
The Windmill
Wendover
Bucks
HP22 6JJ

who probably have an extensive selection.

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 10:04 AM

John Rutter, eh? John Rutter is the guy our choir loves to hate.

He must have had a bad divorce from an alto once, because his alto parts are particularly unmusical and hard to learn. He's one of those arrangers who thinks that an alto (or sometimes a tenor or bass) is not a musician, but is merely a frequency generator. Hatum duts!

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: My guru always said
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 10:01 AM

Masato - as usual you are Fabulous!!!! Thank You

Hil xx

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:55 AM

John Rutter: Folk Songs for Choirs, Book 1

John Rutter: Folk Songs for Choirs, Book 2

The King's singers: Folk Songs

~Masato

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: My guru always said
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:13 AM

Thanks Dave, very useful :-)

I've sent a link to this thread to my conductor & I hope she'll come browsing before I see her at practice on Thursday!!

Meanwhile, please keep those suggestions coming :-)

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 09:10 AM

Besides RVW, there are many arrangements by Grainger, Holst, Butterworth, Warlock etc.

There are also lots of songs which aren't strictly traditional, but which nevertheless still fit into the folk club repertoire (some are older than many "trad" songs). Arrangements which I've sung include:

Just as the tide eas turning - RVW,
Linden Lea - RVW,
Swansea Town (original of "The Holy Ground") - Holst,
Bring us in good ale - - Holst,
Diverus and Lazarus - Holst,
I love my love - Holst,
No John, No, - Various,
Tom Bowling - Dibden,
Cherry Ripe - Campion(?),
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day - Willcocks.

Oxford University Press publish several books of "Folk Songs for Choirs which contain many of the above.

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: My guru always said
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:44 AM

DMcG - I've printed out the list that came up under that search & will pass the website & list onto our conductor - thanks so much for helping!! I'm quite excited about doing some folk songs with the choir - we did some madrigals a couple of years ago & they worked very well!

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: IanC
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:41 AM

Here's a list of RVW's arrangements of folk songs for choirs.

Here they are

Folksong and Carol Collections and Arrangements
- An Acre of Land
- Adieu                          (Departure)
- And All in the Morning
- The Angel Gabriel
- The Birth of the Saviour
- The Bloody Gardener
- A Bold Young Farmer
- A Bold Young Sailor                 (used in the Norfolk Rhapsody No.1)
- Bonnie Banks of Virgie-o
- The Brewer
- Bushes and Briars
- The Captain's Apprentice         (used in A Norfolk Rhapsody No.1)
- The Carnal and the Crane          ("The miraculous harvest")
- Cherry Tree Carol                  ("As Joseph was a-walking")
- Christmas Now is Drawing Near
- Come Love We God
- Cousin Michael                  (U)
- Coventry Carol
- The Cruel Mother
- The Cuckoo
- The Dark-eyed Sailor
- Dives and Lazarus
- Down in yon Forest
- Earl Brand
- Early in the Spring
- Eight Traditional English Carols
- Entlaubet ist der Walde
- The First Nowell
- Five English Folksongs
- Folksongs from Newfoundland
- Folksongs from the Eastern Counties
- Folksongs of the Four Seasons
- God Bless the Master of this House
- God Rest you Merry
- The Green Meadow                  ("The lawyer")
- Greensleeves
- The Gypsy Laddie
- The Holy Well
- In Bethlehem City
- I Saw Three Ships
- John Barleycorn                (used in the second March of the English Folksong Suite)
- Joseph and Mary
- Just as the Tide was Flowing
- King William
- The Lark in the Morning
- Lord Akeman
- The Lord at First
- Lovely Joan                          (used in the Fantasia on Greensleeves)
- The Lover's Ghost
- The Maiden's Lament
- Mayday Carol
- The Morning Dew
- Mummer's Carol
- New Year's Carol
- Nine Carols for Male Voices
- On Christmas Day
- On Christmas Night
- One Man, Two Men
- Penguin Book of English Folksongs
- The Ploughman
- Proud Nancy
- Robin Hood and the Pedlar
- Rolling in the Dew
- The Saviour's Love
- Searching for Lambs
- The Seeds of Love
- Seventeen Come Sunday          (first March of the English Folksong Suite)
- The Sheep- Shearing
- She's Like the Swallow
- Six English Folksongs
- The Sprig of Thyme
- The Springtime of the Year
- Summer is a coming in
- Sweet William's Ghost
- There is a Flower
- Think of me
- Three Gaelic Songs
- The Truth Sent from Above
- The Turtle Dove
- The Twelve Apostles
- Twelve Traditional Carols from Herefordshire
- Two Carols
- Two English Folksongs          (for Voice and Violin)
- Under the Leaves                  (Seven virgins)
- The Unquiet Grave                  (How cold the wind doth blow)
- A Virgin Most Pure
- Wassail Song                          (from Gloucestershire)
- Wassail Song                          (from Yorkshire : We've been a- while a- wandering)
- The Winter's Gone and Past
- Young Floro

:-)

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: DMcG
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:34 AM

Whoops, only some of them are SATB - never mind, try me anyway!

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: DMcG
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:30 AM

I've a reasonable collection. Have a look at Folkinfo and use a full-text search for "Schools" to find some songs I've already put up. I have all of these, and more, in SATB form and can send them if you wish.

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: My guru always said
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:24 AM

Ian - that would be EXTREMELY helpful - titles of songs for now please so I can run some ideas past her please? I know she's a very busy bee or I'd suggest setting up a meet with her.
Cheers,
Hil

Subject: RE: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: IanC
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 08:20 AM

There are loads of Vaughan Williams arrangements of folk songs for choirs - very good in general. Cecil Sharp also did some, but the VW are really the favourites.

There may be sheet music on the web, but it's not too difficult to find in the secondhand bookshops. There may well be some new books available in music shops too.

I've got a dozen or so scored arrangements somewhere if that would be helpful.

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: English Folk songs for Choirs?
From: My guru always said
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 07:55 AM

My choir conductor collared me (knowing how obsessed I am with Folk) the other day & asked for my advice about old English trad folk songs that could be OK for choirs (SATB). Well, I couldn't think of any at the time, but I said 'I know somewhere I can find out for you' :-)

So, CatsAll - I did a forum search & couldn't come up with anything - how about it? I know so little & you guys know so much.....

I don't think she's fussed about scores or arrangements as she has facilities to sort out that sort of thing - but suggestions & pointing at midi's would be extremely useful!

Suggestions (keep it clean guys) ???