Where did you find that music? Here's a Women Choral Composer Resource in time for March
Updated: Jun 30, 2022
Exploring choral repertoire and experimenting how songs connect to create a compelling and meaningful program is one of my favorite pastimes. But crafting choral programs can be tough, especially if you have committed to not reprising the songs you sang in college. Let’s be honest for a beat--the music we sang in high school and college was primarily composed by white males. And it is easy to locate this “tried and true” choral repertoire, also known as the choral canon, because it is widely available in our institution’s choral music libraries, music anthologies, and music publishing websites. In fact, there is a very good chance you can score a composition (pun intended) from the choral canon in the public domain for free. Thus, programing diverse repertoire can be difficult because access to the music has not been equitable. Five years ago, I gathered the courage as a choral conductor and artistic director to find my own voice by conscientiously programming music by women-presenting composers for the choirs I directed and also began reconsidering the choral literature taught at the graduate level. By conscientious I mean scouring, researching, listening, making lists, studying, and teaching choral music composed by women. Although my diligence in repertoire exploration extends to other historically excluded composers, this article focuses specifically on music by women composers to help us celebrate “Women’s History Month” this March by sharing some great resources to find repertoire.
Over the last few years, I have started polling our audiences to inquire the aspect(s) of the concert they enjoyed most. The positive comments were centered around the variety of repertoire. Now, one of my favorite comments is, “where did you find that music?” I wish there was one comprehensive list or database that referenced all music by historically excluded or composers not currently being amplified due to their gender. Unfortunately, such a resource does not exist… yet. Therefore, I often visit individual websites of my ever-growing list of women composers to explore whether one of their compositions will fit an upcoming program. When I have been unable to locate a particular score, I have contacted other ensembles that have performed it to inquire where to find it. As you can imagine, the task is time-consuming but worth it. There are several great resources starting to emerge that aid programming music by women-presenting and women-identifying composers. Here are a few resources to explore this March for Women’s History Month:
Historical Options:
A Modern Reveal: Songs and Stories of Women Composers
An online resource dedicated to promoting the vocal works and stories of historical female composers who have been overlooked for centuries (particularly historical composers). Each composer page includes recordings to explore.
Women Composer Database from Orange County Women’s Chorus
This searchable database has over 400 compositions by women composers listed.
Music Theory Examples by Women
An excellent resource for using music composed by women to explain music theory concepts.
Publisher dedicated to music from the Italian convents of the 16th and 17th centuries. Most of the music was scored for SATB voicing and the website includes insight as to how the nuns sang the bass part.
General Exploring Resources
Donne: The Big List of Women Composers
Phenomenal. This list features more than 5,000 women composers from pre-medieval to 21st century singer-songwriters. You can filter your search to choral music and by era. When you access the composer’s page, be sure to click the “External Reference” button as it will send you to info on the composer or the composer’s website. This list would be ultimate resource if recording examples were included for each composer.
Empowering Silenced Voices Database (compiled by Chorosynthesis Singers)
You can search by social conscious themes to find options.
Institute for Composer Diversity – Choral Database
This project has the potential to be that searchable database we are seeking, but it appears to still in the building process, but it almost 200 songs by women composers (you can search by a number of gender marginalized composers).
You can narrow the search by women composers by clicking the link. CPDL is free!
Arkiv Frau und Musik (new!)
An extensive spreadsheet of choral compositions by women composers from across the globe.
Choral Facebook Groups
Join one of the many choral groups on facebook, such as “I’m a choir director” and “Choral Music” . Utilize the search option and type “women composers”. These resources offer a plethora of crowd sourcing options from your colleagues. If you have an obscure programming theme, create a post and ask for assistance.
Treble Choir Resources:
Repertoire Lists of Women Composers (as performed by Elektra Women’s Choir)
This list is an incredible resource of women composers, including many Canadian based composers.
Repertoire List from Vox Femina Los Angeles
This list has a balanced offering of repertoire, with a dedication to women presenting composers.
This ensemble has shared several obscure and underperformed early repertoire.
A comprehensive resource as there is considerable information included on each work.
Sacred Music Resources:
Multitude of Voyces: Sacred Music by Women Composers
Published three anthology volumes of music by women composers (historical and living) to be used in a church setting. The website offers perusal scores and listening links to most of the repertoire.
Amplify Female Composers Project
The website has recordings of music composed by women for every day in Advent and Stations of the Cross. A great resource for church musicians.
A new and most excellent resource with many incredible composers.
A Great Host of Composers: Women Composer Database
This site has a spreadsheet with a repertoire suggestion for each Sunday in the lectionary for Year B and C (church musicians – this incredible site is for you!)
Publishers:
A publisher dedicated to the works of women composers.
Kassia Choral Series (under Bank Musics Publications)
A choral series highlighting women composers.
A fantastic resource of music by historical composers, but also historical repertoire specifically composed for soprano/alto voices.
The publisher has a wonderfully diverse set of composers to explore.
An artist-owned sheet music distribution. It is an excellent resource for exploring the works of living women-presenting composers.
This publisher has a listing of all the women identifying composers they publish.
Commission a Living Composer:
Approach a composer to write a work for one of the ensembles you direct or enter into a commission consortium with other directors/ensembles to reduce the cost.
Lists of Composers:
Here is a list of some of the incredible composers whose work I have programmed (either already performed in the past few years or scheduled to perform this year) with a link to their repertoire online or website (*indicates composers we have commissioned). I have included the ones I have programmed to show that it is possible to incorporate diverse repertoire into our programs. A recording has been included for a few of the examples recorded by one of community ensembles or Voices of Concinnity. Also included is a list of composers whose works are on my list for future programming:
Historical Works Programmed:
Vittoria Aleotti (ca.1570-1646)
Caterina Assandra (c.1590-c.1618)
Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)
Francesca Caccini (1587-1646) - Recording: "Aure volanti"
Maddelena Casulana (1544-1590) - Recording: "Morir non può mio cuore"
Sulpitia Cesis (1577-after 1619)
Chiara Margarita Cozzolani (1602-1677)
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847)
Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704)
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
Lucrezia Vizzana (1590-1662)
Undine Smith Moore (1904-1898) - Recording: "We Shall Walk through the Valley in Peace"
Living Composers Programmed:
Eleanor Daley - Recording: "Love Came Down at Christmas"
*Melissa Dunphy - Recording: "Wild Embers", "Witch-Wife", "Halcyon Days"
*Cheryl Engelhardt - Recording: "Breadth of Blossoms"
Reena Esmail - Recording "TaReKiTa"
Katerina Gimon - Recording: "All together we are love"
Elaine Hagenberg - Recording: "Song of Miriam"
Moira Smiley Recording "Bring me a little Silvey"
Willametta Spencer - Recording: "At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners"
Dale Trumbore - Recording: "Perhaps"
Hyowon Woo
Composers on our List for Future for Programming:
Elizabeth Austin - http://www.elizabethaustinmusic.com
Amy Beach - https://www.amybeach.org/about/biography/
Jasmine Barnes - https://www.jasminebarnescomposer.com
Kerensa Briggs - https://www.kerensabriggs.co.uk
Andrea Clearfield http://www.andreaclearfield.com/works/choral/
Catherine Dalton - https://catherinedalton.net
Emma Lou Diemer- https://www.emmaloudiemermusic.com/catalog.html
Jocelyn Hagen - https://www.jocelynhagen.com/list-of-works/
Anna Lapwood - https://www.annalapwood.co.uk
Libby Larson - https://libbylarsen.com/
Sarah MacDonald - https://www.sarahmacdonald.live/about
Joanne Metcalf - http://www.joannemetcalf.com
Tawnie Olson - http://www.tawnieolson.com
Alice Parker - https://www.melodiousaccord.org
Kala Pierson - http://kalapierson.com/about/index.html
Rosephanye Powell - http://rosephanyepowell.com
Shruthi Rajasekar - https://www.shruthirajasekar.com
Sarah Rimkus - http://www.sarahrimkus.com
Zanaida Robles - https://zanaidarobles.com
Joan Syzmko https://www.joanszymko.com/works
Diana V. Sáez https://dianavsaez.com/compositions/
Marie-Claire Saindon - https://www.marieclairesaindon.com
Mari Esabel Valverde - https://marivalverde.com
Joanna Ward - https://www.joannamward.com
Tracy Wong - https://tracywongmusic.com
Chen Yi - https://www.presser.com/chen-yi
Kira Zeeman Rugen - https://www.kirarugen.com
This article is just a beginning and barely scraping the surface of all the amazing repertoire that is out there and needs to be heard. But it illuminates the capability we have to explore new repertoire. If you are strapped for time when programming, you can access and explore the resources outlined here. This March, we will work to have this list compiled on the Consonare Choral Community website so will continue to update it. Do you have a resource or composers that should be included on this list? If so, please visit our website to send me an email so that we can add it to this list.
Happy Women’s History Month and happy programming!
Update:
Some additional resources we have found to add to your list:
Major Choral Works by Women Composers (google doc)
Written by Sarah Kaufold
Artistic Director of Consonare Choral Community