Sheet Music by Female Composers: A Rich and Diverse Selection

for SATB (divisi) with 2 soprano solos This engagingly written piece sets the Lamentations of Jeremiah. The overlapping passages of music passed between the soloists and the choir create a dramatic ef...

Setting a text spoken by Nurse Edith Cavell on the eve of her execution in 1915 and re-fashioned by the poet Sean Street, McDowall has created a work of haunting beauty. It is equally suitable for fun...

Setting a well-known poem by Percy Shelley, Love's Philosophy is a sweet and tender choral song reflecting on the idea of love with reference to nature and the interdependent relationships evident in...

for SATB double choir unaccompanied Inspired by A. E. Borthwick's painting of the same title, The Presence sets lines from Psalms 18, 27, 36, 112, and 119 mainly concerned with light. While suitable f...

for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied This Advent carol is based on words from John Donne's Holy Sonnets. McDowall creates a captivating atmosphere as the voices explore a mystical soundworld. The s...

This piece sets a joyful text celebrating the beauty found all around us. Characterized by tight harmonies and a dynamic hand drum line, the buoyant 7/8 metre drives the piece forward. Lush harmonies...

Bring festive radiance to your choral repertoire with this evocative setting of the traditional Marian antiphon "Regina Caeli", published by the prestigious Oxford University Press. Scored for mixed c...

McDowall's setting of Isaac Watts' Cradle Hymn is beautifully tender, coloured by its rich harmonies, suspensions, and chromatic notes. The melodies are complimented by sustained 'oo's and 'ah's and r...

McGlade's setting of 'The Call' by George Herbert is simple but effective, reflecting the directness of the original poem. The three-bar phrases create a feeling of expectancy throughout the verses, a...

The Parting Glass is a traditional Scottish song, often sung as a farewell at the end of a get-together. Sarah Quartel's arrangement features close harmonies, idiomatic Scotch snap rhythms, and effect...

Written in an a cappella style with scat accompaniment, A Tree is a Song is a joyful celebration of the affinity between trees and how wisdom can be passed on 'as a melody from tree to tree'. McDowall...

This gently flowing, contemplative sacred choral work sets words from Isaiah 26 and Psalm 73, expressing gratitude for God's protection and guidance. McGlade includes a short passage which may be sung...

This solemn yet dramatic work sets a traditional Latin prayer lauding the Virgin Mary, with intense melodic lines that are at once steadfast and arresting, reflecting the mystery of the immaculate con...

Challenge your advanced ensemble with this phenomenal work by Sally K. Albrecht. Featuring a cappella double choirs, Gloria Patri employs a full vocal range, dramatic choral dynamics, varied musical t...

Show off the a cappella achievements of your advanced choir with this stunning tour-de-force by one of Alfred's best, Sally K. Albrecht. Half of the group chants a rhythmic ostinato accompanying the i...

The definitive a cappella Christmas spiritual of the year! A descending bass line is a firm foundation in the A section; B features the girls vs. the guys; a vocal stack builds in the middle; followed...

A syncopated opening bass lick lays the groundwork for this quintessential a cappella spiritual. When the other voices join, we begin a journey of texture, harmonic development, and form, indicative o...

The bass section lays out a captivating minor key line, followed by the entrance of syncopated tenors. Altos add their percussive part, and the sopranos offer another layer in the exciting contrapunta...

Perform this pair of authentic Asian folk songs separately or as a world music set. Singers will embrace imitating percussion instruments in the Chinese 'Flower Drum Song,' and adore echoing the lyric...

The traditional Latin "eternal light" text is beautifully brought to life in this artful a cappella work by contemporary choral composer Ruth Morris Gray. With plenty of room for rubato and dynamic ex...

Gothic horror in music: This chamber choir miniature in 3/4 time, as entertaining as it is creepy, pays homage to Alban Berg's Wozzeck, which is directly quoted with the line 'Ein schöner Mord, ein gu...

Composer's note: 'I was introduced to William Blake's poem The Lamb many years ago through John Tavener's famous setting and, when commissioned by York Minster to write a carol for their 2019 nine les...

Composer's note: 'I was introduced to William Blake's poem The Lamb many years ago through John Tavener's famous setting and, when commissioned by York Minster to write a carol for their 2019 nine les...

Composer's note: 'The words of Edith Reed's translation of this traditional Polish poem wonderfully encapsulate the Christmas message. I love the way that the text captures the innocence and humblenes...

Composer's note: 'Walter De La Mare's poem Clouded with snow paints an atmospheric picture of late afternoon in winter and I was drawn to the image of a bleak yet beautiful landscape with the faint gl...