Ater listening to all the work presented to study, Bach’s (1685 – 1685) Mass in B Minor (1749) seems to employ a variety of vocal textures through the work, ranging from the intimate and introspective to the grand and triumphant. One of the most striking features is the way in which Bach weaves together the various vocal parts to create complex harmonies and counterpoint. Bach seems to use a double choir to create a sense of antiphonal dialogue where the two choirs sing back and forth to each other, creating a sense of call and response that is both dramatic and poignant the intimacy is provided by a recurrent solo vocalist. In Neptune (1918) by Holst (1874-1934), the composer seems to create a mysteries and ethereal atmosphere, unlike Bach. The choir is wordless and produces a haunting melody. The effect is that the choir seems to be fading in and out of the backgrounds, singing softly and sometimes loudly. At one point, the choir sees to sing in a hushed, whispered tone, creating an eerie effect. The choirs seem to be used as an instrument itself, adding textures and atmosphere to the piece. Ravel’s (1875-1937) use of the choir in Daphnis et Chloe (1912) appears to create atmosphere and to emphasize key moments, like in the opening scene where the choir sings a melody producing a sense of anticipation. At a later point in the work, a joyous atmosphere is added by choirs singing in unison. Ravel also uses soloist to add emotional depth in the piece, like a tenor singing a sad and longing melody. In Swingle Singers’ arrangement, they use both soloist and choir to create complex and engaging sound. The piece begins with a solo voice singing; the initial melody, which is then taken up by the rest of the group in harmony. The intricate harmonies create a sense of energy and excitement. There appear to be occasional scat singing and beatboxing, adding complexity. A similar approach, weaving the voices into the fabric of the music, is taken on the piece by Berio’s (1925-2003) Sinfonia (1968), however, some sections, the choir sings fragments of text that are interspersed with instrumental music creating as sense of fragmentation and dissonance. In other sections, I noticed unison seeming more traditional choral sound. In the third section, the choir sings snippets of Mahler’s music, which are then interrupted by the burst of instrumental music. The effect is both disorienting and thrilling. In Gold Mine (1988) by Take 6 (1980-), the voices seem to have impressive percussive power. Like Swingle Singers, the initial melody is then taken up by the rest of the group in harmony. In addition to scat singing and beatboxing, take 6 also produce percussive effects to create a wide range of textures and sounds.
Orchestration and Arrangement 