Full Fathom Five
The sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Britain form a golden age of round-singing; even the nineteenth provided some fine examples. These twelve rounds, set to texts by Shakespeare, Skelton, Swift, Dryden, Johnson, Carroll and Synge, are of varying difficulty and may require rehearsal. Keeping as they do to the style of the period, they offer plenty of movement among the parts. Some have special endings for performance. While intended for experienced voices, they may of course be sung by mixed groups of all ages. The composer explains the concept of “partnered voices” in gaining melodic range.
Over 100 of Brian Kogler’s rounds are now accessible on YouTube. Scores are available for free on request. Please contact: bkogler [at] bigpond [dot] com
Voicing: | Equal Voices, SSAA |
Instrumentation: | A Cappella |
Language: | English |
Sacred or Secular: | Secular |
Season or Event: | General |
Difficulty: | Intermediate, Advanced |
Descriptive Tags: | Fun, Humorous, Light, Rounds, Silly |
Explore More Music…
Title | View | Voicing | Duration | Language | Composer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SAB | 2' | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 7'30" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This short cantata on spring evokes expressive texts by John Milton, anonymous, and E.E. Cummings. More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 3'30" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This setting of the Gloria text in English is excerpted from a longer Anglican communion/mass service — Communion Service in D — also published on Swirly (including settings of the Hosanna, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei). The Gloria is a simple, tuneful arrangement that can be performed as a general-purpose anthem or during the Christmas season. […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SAB | 2'30" | Japanese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB ⋅ Unison | 5' 13" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This setting of Evensong Canticles (BCP 1662) is intended for use in those churches which are looking for a relatively simple choral setting, or that don’t always have a mixed choir and need the flexibility of being able to sing the canticles in unison where necessary, or where a choir of children’s/women’s voices or men’s […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 2'30" | English ⋅ Italian ⋅ Neapolitan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This arrangement of the Neapolitan Christmas carol, sometimes known as “Canzone d’i Zampognari,” or “Carol of the Bagpipers”, was written for the San Francisco Bach Choir in 2021. It tells the story of the starry night when Bethlehem was visited by three strangers from far away. Sung here in the original Neapolitan language, there is […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SA ⋅ SSA | 2'20" | Latin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Originally written for a Portuguese children’s choir, this simple a cappella setting could equally be performed by an adult women’s choir. It is mostly in two parts (SA), but there is an optional 3rd part towards the end of the piece. The first few measures may be sung as a solo. Translation: “Not unto us, […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SSAATTBB | 5' 15" | Finnish ⋅ Vocables | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In Runo XIV of the Kalevala, Lemminkäinen hunts the black swan that lives on the river of Tuoni in the underworld in order to win a daughter of Louhi as his wife. While searching for the swan, he is killed and his body is dumped into the river. In Runo XV, Lemminkäinen’s mother searches all […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2' | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hailing from Dijon, France, poet and composer Bernard de La Monnoye (1641-1728) wrote a set of Christmas carols in his local Burgundian dialect. Noei Borguignon de Gui Barôzai (Gui Barôzai being de La Monnoye’s pseudonym) includes the familiar Christmas carol now known as Pat-a-pan. Originally titled “Guillô, Pran Ton Tamborin”, today this carol is the […] More info & view score » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 3'30" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This is a straightforward setting for choir and organ/keyboard of an Appalachian carol found by John Jacob Niles (1892-1980). Niles was an American composer, singer, and collector of traditional ballads. He discovered this carol in Mayfield, Kentucky in 1933. Niles was an important influence on the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, […] More info & view score » |