Under the Greenwood Tree: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Ruth Morris Gray's setting brings Shakespeare's beloved forest poem to life with music that honors the text's pastoral warmth and philosophical ease. The recorded accompaniment lets you focus entirely on the voices, making this ideal for choirs preparing for performance or adjudication without instrumental ensemble support.

Pastoral and contemplative, inviting singers and listeners into the forest setting of Shakespeare's text. The music suggests peace and gentle reflection, capturing the philosopher's tone that runs through the original verse.

Choirs performing at concerts or festivals who want a sophisticated secular work rooted in beloved literature. This works equally well for choirs with strong sight-reading skills and those building musicianship through engaging repertoire.

• Shape the text expressively by listening closely to how the recorded accompaniment breathes; follow its phrasing to keep the poetry audible and unflushed.
• Balance soprano and alto lines carefully in passages where they move independently; they carry both melody and harmonic weight.
• Let the recorded accompaniment anchor your tempo choices, but encourage singers to inhabit the meaning of the words rather than mechanically matching the track.

Program this alongside other Renaissance-era poetry settings or as a contrasting lighter work between more dramatic choral pieces. Its literary foundation makes it particularly valuable in mixed programming where you're balancing text-driven and purely musical selections.

• Singing poetry with clear diction and expressive phrasing
• Following recorded accompaniment while maintaining ensemble independence
• Interpreting Shakespearean language through vocal color and line shaping