Exsultate, Jubilate: SAB Choral Octavo

Lewis writes for singers, not around them. The tone clusters in the B section sound sophisticated but require no vocal gymnastics, which means your singers stay engaged and confident rather than wrestling with impossible intervals. The 6/8 propulsion lifts a Latin text into genuine celebration without demanding the resources of a larger ensemble.

Sunlit and propulsive. The 6/8 meter carries you forward with lightness, while the tone clusters in the middle section introduce a moment of color and sophistication without darkening the mood. It's celebration with a modern edge.

SAB choirs looking for accessible sacred repertoire with contemporary coloring. Festival directors who want something festive yet stylistically current. Programs that need a shorter choral work that doesn't require orchestration or specialized voicing.

• Establish the 6/8 pulse clearly in your first rehearsal; many singers default to feeling it as two rather than three, which flattens the character entirely.
• Let the tone clusters breathe in the B section rather than stacking them like a contemporary music premiere. They land harder when the ear has space to register the color.
• Balance the text clarity against the rhythmic energy; the Latin syllables matter, but not at the expense of the lilt that makes this arrangement work.

This works perfectly as a festival or concert opener, setting an energetic tone without demanding the heaviest ensemble resources. Place it early in a sacred music program to establish brightness before moving into more introspective territory, or pair it with other shorter contemporary Latin settings for a thematic block.

• Reading and sustaining compound meter (6/8) with rhythmic accuracy
• Singing in parts while executing tone clusters through logical voice leading
• Latin text clarity and pronunciation in a contemporary musical context
• Responding to stylistic shifts between diatonic and chromatic harmonic language