Celebramus: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Narverud crafts choral writing that feels both accessible and substantial. The interplay between crisp, rhythmic material and flowing legato passages gives singers satisfying textural contrasts to execute, while the optional instrumental obbligatos provide flexibility for different performance contexts without requiring them to succeed.

Celebramus opens with infectious energy and forward momentum, the fanfare setting an immediate celebratory mood. The piece shifts into a more lyrical, introspective character in the B-section before returning to jubilation, creating a arc that feels both spirited and musically complete.

Advanced high school choirs and collegiate ensembles seeking a showpiece that combines rhythmic drive with sophisticated harmonic writing. Directors preparing for festival or contest will appreciate the professional polish and the option to scale orchestration up or down based on available resources.

• Establish the fanfare opening with rhythmic precision and clear articulation; think of the accented vocal motives as percussion-like elements that need unified attack and release across the choir.
• Balance the layered textures by having singers identify their specific motive and practice it independently before layering with other sections, ensuring each line remains audible in the full sound.
• Shape the B-section legato lines with consistent breath support and attention to phrase arcs; the contrast to the fanfare introduction will be more striking if this material breathes differently.
• If including the cello and French horn obbligatos, rehearse instrumental parts separately with your choir first so singers understand the harmonic and rhythmic relationship before bringing everything together.

Program this as a concert opener to establish excitement and energy, or pair it with contrasting sacred choral works to showcase range within a single concert. Its Latin text and secular character make it an excellent anchor piece for a thematic program exploring texts beyond English and vernacular traditions.

• Executing crisp articulation and rhythmic precision in fanfare-style material
• Balancing independent melodic lines within a multi-layered texture
• Sustaining legato phrasing with consistent breath support
• Coordinating with optional instrumental obbligatos (cello, French horn)
• Building musicality within a Latin text