Hey, Nonny, Nonny (from Three Shakespeare Songs): SATB Choral Octavo

Nygard's setting of Shakespeare text feels genuinely musical rather than merely serviceable. The three movements in this suite offer real contrasts in character and style, giving your singers substantive material to shape while remaining achievable at the moderately difficult level. Programming this opens doors to meaningful literary-musical exploration without sacrificing concert impact.

The piece honors Shakespeare's text while avoiding precious or overly dramatic settings. The writing is direct and musical, with moments of genuine harmonic color and voice interplay that reward careful listening. You'll hear craftsmanship and taste in every measure.

High school and college choirs seeking substantial, literary-minded repertoire that sits well in voices without requiring extensive training. Directors programming concert or festival performances will find this suite works as a complete set or can be programmed strategically with other works.

• Balance the piece's harmonic language by attending to voice leading in inner parts; the soprano and alto lines often carry independent material that shouldn't disappear beneath the lower voices.
• Shakespeare's language rewards clear diction and expressive phrasing. Work the text first in rehearsal, allowing the musical setting to grow from the words rather than imposing musicality on top of them.
• Give yourself rehearsal time for all three movements before locking in tempos. The stylistic diversity across the suite means each piece needs individual attention to establish its own character.

Program all three movements as a suite to showcase your ensemble's versatility and musical maturity, or use individual movements strategically within a broader concert structure. The piece works equally well as a festival selection or as part of a thematic concert exploring text-setting across styles.

• Balancing independent melodic lines across all four voices
• Shaping phrasing and expression around text rather than purely musical patterns
• Reading and interpreting Early Modern English poetry through music
• Sustaining musical focus across contrasting sections with different harmonic and rhythmic textures