John Leavitt has established himself as one of the most prolific and respected choral arrangers working in music education today. His arrangements span sacred, secular, and festival repertoire across all voicing combinations, and his work consistently balances accessibility with musical substance.
Why we love this
Leavitt brings Renaissance and Baroque sources to life with arrangements that honor the originals while opening them up for modern ensembles. The flexible voicing options mean you can program this across multiple contests or concerts without reworking parts, and the musical content rewards singers who engage seriously with the text and counterpoint.
What to expect
These arrangements capture the clarity and structural elegance of Renaissance sacred music while maintaining warmth and accessibility. The writing sits comfortably on male voices, allowing singers to focus on tuning, blend, and the architectural beauty of the counterpoint rather than fighting uncomfortable ranges.
Who it's for
Tenor and bass sections ready to dig into serious choral writing will find plenty here. This works for advanced high school choirs, college men's groups, and festival-ready programs that want repertoire with substance and variety.
How to get the most out of it
Highlight the independence of each voice line; these aren't padding arrangements. Each part carries melodic weight, so balance requires singers to project their lines without overwhelming others.
Work the text as early as you work the notes. Renaissance motets thrive when singers understand what they're singing and shape phrases accordingly.
Lean into the harmonic movement rather than fighting it. Let the voice parts breathe into cadences; rushing through harmonic progressions flattens the architecture.
How to use it
A collection like this gives you flexible programming options for winter or spring concerts, festival competitions, or sacred music services. You can pull individual pieces for thematic programming (a Renaissance motet paired with modern settings of the same text, for example) or program multiple arrangements in sequence to showcase the depth of your tenor and bass sections.
Skills your students will build
Singing sustained lines in a cappella or lightly accompanied contexts
Balancing independent melodic lines in four-part counterpoint
Tuning seventh chords and close harmonic clusters
Shaping musical phrases across longer harmonic progressions
Pronouncing and interpreting Latin sacred texts
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