My Head Fell Off
The round in Western culture has been associated as closely with wit as it has with praise. Here are thirteen risible rounds of varying difficulty intended for a cappella performance. Admirably suited to treble voices, they may be sung by mixed groups of all ages. The lyrics are light and teasing, the music jaunty and memorable. Any choral performance must benefit from the inclusion of a brace of crowd-pleasing canons!
The composer recommends “partnering” the voices by combining female voices “high-with-low” (SA) and male voices “high-with-low” (TB). Each compound “part” will therefore be comprised of both kinds of voice, ideally in equal numbers.
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, SSAB |
| Instrumentation: | A Cappella |
| Language: | English, Latin |
| Sacred or Secular: | Secular |
| Season or Event: | General |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate, Advanced |
| Descriptive Tags: | Fun, Humorous, Light, Silly |
Explore More Music…
Title | View | Voicing | Duration | Language | Composer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SATB | 5'45" | English | This delightful piece sets a whimsical poem by the American poet, Susan Kinsolving, about steps taken internationally to make the world a better place. Sanford Dole’s Dance Steps has artistic merit…no one can doubt the artistic merit of Dole’s entertaining piece. I was not looking forward to enduring Susan Kinsolving’s absurdist text, printed in the […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This delightful piece sets a whimsical poem by the American poet, Susan Kinsolving, about steps taken internationally to make the world a better place. Sanford Dole’s Dance Steps has artistic merit…no one can doubt the artistic merit of Dole’s entertaining piece. I was not looking forward to enduring Susan Kinsolving’s absurdist text, printed in the […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 7'30" | English | This short cantata on spring evokes expressive texts by John Milton, anonymous, and E.E. Cummings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This short cantata on spring evokes expressive texts by John Milton, anonymous, and E.E. Cummings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 2'20" | Italian | Tre Madrigali Amorosi are settings of poems by Torquato Tasso (1544-1595), a favorite poet of Italian madrigal composers of the sixteenth century. The set was written for the Saint Mary’s University Chamber Singers, who premiered the works on their tour of France in March, 2013, with the composer conducting and Chun Chim (David) Leung, violin. […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tre Madrigali Amorosi are settings of poems by Torquato Tasso (1544-1595), a favorite poet of Italian madrigal composers of the sixteenth century. The set was written for the Saint Mary’s University Chamber Singers, who premiered the works on their tour of France in March, 2013, with the composer conducting and Chun Chim (David) Leung, violin. […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 4'50" | English | This arrangement opens by lining out the plainsong chant over a drone. Then, in succeeding verses we hear it in organum before more complex harmonies and rhythms are added. Finally all voices sing the melody in canon before a concluding fantasia. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This arrangement opens by lining out the plainsong chant over a drone. Then, in succeeding verses we hear it in organum before more complex harmonies and rhythms are added. Finally all voices sing the melody in canon before a concluding fantasia. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SSA | 2' | Hebrew | Psalm 117 (Hallelu et Adonai) is a compact, ecstatic setting of the shortest psalm—a direct call for all peoples to praise—building to an exuberant “Halleluya!” Beyond its liturgical roots, it also works as a vivid, high-energy concert opener or closer, celebrating joy, invitation, and collective voice. At a glance SSA • piano • c. 2′ […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Psalm 117 (Hallelu et Adonai) is a compact, ecstatic setting of the shortest psalm—a direct call for all peoples to praise—building to an exuberant “Halleluya!” Beyond its liturgical roots, it also works as a vivid, high-energy concert opener or closer, celebrating joy, invitation, and collective voice. At a glance SSA • piano • c. 2′ […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equal Voices ⋅ SSAA | 1′30-2′ each | English ⋅ Latin | Are you a square? Can you easily retrieve a gas bill from 1979? Do you pine for the return of spats? Do you chew each mouthful forty times while letting the bottle “breathe”? And when you watch TV, do you recoil from all murders except those committed on the village green? If so, these rounds […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Are you a square? Can you easily retrieve a gas bill from 1979? Do you pine for the return of spats? Do you chew each mouthful forty times while letting the bottle “breathe”? And when you watch TV, do you recoil from all murders except those committed on the village green? If so, these rounds […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SSA | 3'40" | English | “Shenandoah” is a new, rich arrangement for women’s voices. The piano accompaniment is optional but does provide support and some additional harmonies. Your women’s choir or trio will find “Shenandoah” to be well worth the effort. This piece is an excellent concert choice and would also be very appropriate for contests, festivals, and literary events. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| “Shenandoah” is a new, rich arrangement for women’s voices. The piano accompaniment is optional but does provide support and some additional harmonies. Your women’s choir or trio will find “Shenandoah” to be well worth the effort. This piece is an excellent concert choice and would also be very appropriate for contests, festivals, and literary events. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | Each round 1′30″ to 2′ (in performance) | English ⋅ Latin | Most rounds in popular collections are either sober or light-hearted. Where are the truly chucklesome examples? They do exist, of course: one thinks of classics such as “Thy Jolly Red Nose” or “The Old Man from Calcutta”; even, perhaps, of the bawdy catches of Henry Purcell and John Blow. But they are rarely found between […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most rounds in popular collections are either sober or light-hearted. Where are the truly chucklesome examples? They do exist, of course: one thinks of classics such as “Thy Jolly Red Nose” or “The Old Man from Calcutta”; even, perhaps, of the bawdy catches of Henry Purcell and John Blow. But they are rarely found between […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SATB | 3' 54" | English | A setting of words by Eric Gosney, When Love came to the world is an original carol suitable for use in either services or concerts. Its four verses talk of the response to Christ’s Nativity of the sleeping, unprepared world, the shepherds, the Magi and ourselves today. It is set for SATB choir with Tenor […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A setting of words by Eric Gosney, When Love came to the world is an original carol suitable for use in either services or concerts. Its four verses talk of the response to Christ’s Nativity of the sleeping, unprepared world, the shepherds, the Magi and ourselves today. It is set for SATB choir with Tenor […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||