Document Type
Syllabus
Publication Date
Fall 9-1-2024
Course Description
Welcome to this class! Choral arranging is a creative process that develops a source melody and text into a complete setting for a particular choral combination (e.g. SATB, SSA, TTBB) with or without accompaniment. While the market already offers many choral arrangements to purchase, often choir directors and other musicians find themselves in situations in which those arrangements ‘don’t fit’ for various reasons (e.g. not all voice parts covered or balanced, level of difficulty not appropriate, etc.). This class is meant to equip students with basic arranging tools that offer more flexibility in such situations, and to foster creativity for arranging in general. In a first step, we will briefly focus on gathering/reviewing different tools from music theory, musicianship, proper music notation (including the use of software), and aspects that are significant to writing for the voice. The majority of the class, you will apply these tools to evaluate existing arrangements and to create your own arrangements for different groups and in different styles. Due to the nature of the format of this class, there will be room for individual emphases and explorations on this broad topic.
Recommended Citation
Black, Bryon II, "MUS 380C 21CM Tps: Choral Arranging Black II Fall 2024" (2024). All Course Syllabi. 783, Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University.
https://scholarship.depauw.edu/records_syllabi/783
Student Outcomes
By the end of this class, students will: Be able to explain the specific challenges to arranging vocal music (compared to instrumental). Have developed a language to describe harmonization of vocal music. Be able to apply basic rules of four-part writing. Understand the differences between various styles of vocal music.