“A spotless rose” by Herbert Howells

Performance:

And this is what the piece sounds like, sung by the incomparable Kings College Choir, Cambridge

Practice parts:

Soprano:

Alto:

Tenor:

Bass:

The crown of roses – by Peter Tchaikovsky

Listen here:

Listen to the Pretoria University Camerata singing “Crown of Roses”: https://youtu.be/6DnmfTjwwis

Practice guides:

Soprano:

Alto:

Tenor:

Bass:

Es its ein Ros entsprungen – Michael Praetorious

Translation of the words:

A Spotless Rose is blowing,
Sprung from a tender root,
Of ancient seers’ foreshowing,
Of Jesse promised fruit;
Its fairest bud unfolds to light
Amid the cold, cold winter,
And in the dark midnight.

The Rose which I am singing,
Whereof Isaiah said,
Is from its sweet root springing
In Mary, purest Maid;
Through God’s great love and might
The Blessed Babe she bare us
In a cold, cold winter’s night.

This Flow’r whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness ev’rywhere.
True Man, yet very God;
From sin and death He saves us
And lightens ev’ry load.

Karoonag – Coenie de Villiers

Listen to a recording of Karoonag here by the Johannesburg Queer Chorus:

Translation to English:

When the night buttons up its jacket over the field/plains,

and the zodiac lets its shine lie right up against the scorpion [constellation];

as the twins [Gemini] and the crab [Cancer], [astrological] companions over Beaufort West,

and the moon pours its cup over Graaff-Reinet.

Do you smell cat-bush and kambro [indigenous plants], when it rains in the Little Karoo.

My Hantam wind. My adopted child [or ‘foundling’ / ‘cherished child’]. Tonight.

In the morning when it turns blue, and the amber clouds stir,

as the sun pushes its first light, over the “bitterboela” [a local shrub/shrubland],

as the train whistles at Noupoort, and it vanishes into the wind,

and a tumbleweed [tolbos] gets stuck somewhere against the ridge/hill.

Do you smell cat-bush and kambro, when it rains in the Little Karoo.

My Hantam wind. My adopted child. Tonight. 

JS Bach: Chorale no 6 from BWV 182 – “Jesu, deine Passion ist mir lauter Freude”

Practice files:

Soprano: (Note that there are many gaps in your part where you don’t sing. Just wait for the next entry)

Alto:

Tenor:

Bass:

Listen to a performance here:

https://youtu.be/dc8nT_dHCjk

The above is the full Cantata BWV182. You will need to scroll to the following times to hear Chorus no 6:

Start 20:15

Section A: 21:07 – Deine Wunden, Kron und Hohn

Section B: 21:58 – Meine Seel auf Rosen geht

Section C: 22:45 – In den Himmel eine Stätt

Bar 46: 23:15 – Uns deswegen schenke

End: 30:02

Translation of text:

Jesu, deine Passion
Jesus, your passion
Ist mir lauter Freude,
is for me pure joy,
Deine Wunden, Kron und Hohn
your wounds, crown and shame
Meines Herzens Weide;
are my heart’s pasture;
Meine Seel auf Rosen geht,
My soul walks on roses
Wenn ich dran gedenke,
if I think on this,
In dem Himmel eine Stätt
in heaven a place
Uns deswegen schenke.
for this reason grant to us.