Vive l'Amour: Choral Collection Book & Listening CD

Shaw and Parker have crafted five distinct arrangements that showcase the breadth of men's vocal literature without sacrificing ensemble cohesion. The option to perform them as separate pieces or as a unified suite gives you genuine programming flexibility, and the listening CD grounds singers in authentic interpretations from the start.

These five songs carry the warmth of folk tradition into a concert setting. Whether you're exploring the Scottish mist of Loch Lomond, the earthy charm of Green Grow the Rashes, or the exuberance of Vive l'Amour itself, the arrangements honor the songs' origins while offering harmonic and textural variety that keeps singers engaged.

Men's choruses of all levels, from high school to community and university ensembles, will find these arrangements both singable and musically substantial. Directors looking for secular repertoire that appeals to mixed audiences without requiring extensive rehearsal time will appreciate the balance Shaw and Parker strike.

• Use the recorded accompaniment in rehearsal to establish pitch and style before singing along; the arrangements rely on specific harmonic colors that the CD captures beautifully.
• Shape phrases according to the lyrical content of each song. These folk melodies thrive on storytelling, so encourage singers to feel the narrative arc rather than just hitting the notes.
• Balance the texture carefully in passages where upper and lower voices diverge. Men's voice arrangements often hide complexity in the middle parts; make sure baritones and second tenors carry their weight.
• Select a consistent approach to vibrato across the collection. Whether you ask for straight tone or warm vibrato, the unified sound matters more than individual preferences.

Perform the collection as a complete suite for a cabaret or semi-staged concert, or extract individual pieces for a more traditional program that needs folk song flavor. These arrangements pair well with contemporary choral music and work particularly effectively as a closing set on concerts celebrating world music or cultural heritage.

• Singing sustained vowels and clear consonants in ensemble contexts
• Understanding folk melody in harmonic settings
• Blending upper and lower voice parts in men's choruses
• Interpreting historical and cultural contexts embedded in song selection