# In praise of the men's chorus **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2007, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751 "2007-11-09T04:30:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/1 "2007-11-09T04:30:53Z")
Don’t get me wrong. I love the King’s Singers and Chanticleer, with their SATTBB arrangements. But I just heard (again) on the radio Chanticleer’s recording of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ arrangement of “Loch Lomond,” and there is _nothing_ like that gorgeous TTBB (or TTTBBB) sound. Give me pieces that were composed (or arranged, but not barbershop — GAAAH!) for men’s voices – Sullivan’s “The Long Day Closes,” Schubert’s part songs for male voices. What wonderful pieces/recordings do you have to recommend? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/2 "2007-11-09T06:29:49Z")
Yes, absolutely. I just love it when we sing TTBB stuff. We did several Welsh male choir type arrangements of various hymns last year that were just wonderful. And when we did \*the Damnation of Faust \* back in 2005 there were some great extended male chorus passages. But I think the most over the top male chorus bit that I can recall was in _Gurrelieder_, where there was a passage scored TTTTTTTTTB. Fantastic! ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/3 "2007-11-09T09:04:59Z")
What is that brief song, sung _a cappella_ by a male choir, that is a tribute either to the Air Force or the Navy fliers? The lyrics are something about touching the sky. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/4 "2007-11-09T09:45:16Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] What is that brief song, sung _a cappella_ by a male choir, that is a tribute either to the Air Force or the Navy fliers? The lyrics are something about touching the sky. [/QUOTE] I suspect you are asking about High Flight by by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. I know that it was the sign off for some television station in my life. It was probably LA or the bay area. Here’s Sacramento’s version of [it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJeVePBjm78). My station’s version was mercifully much shorter that this one. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/5 "2007-11-09T09:55:44Z")
That was painful to sit through. And it wasn’t even what I was thinking of. Male choir, singing a cappella. A song, not a poem. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/6 "2007-11-09T10:15:44Z")
Found it: **The U.S. Air Force Hymn** _Lord, guard and guide the men who fly Through the great spaces of the sky…_ ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/7 "2007-11-09T10:36:59Z")
Welsh male voice choirs are tremendous. 🆒 I have on CD [‘The best of the Treorchy male voice choir’](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Treorchy-Male-Voice-Choir/dp/B00005BCI0/ref=sr_1_3/203-9466836-5446317?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1194604483&sr=1-3) featuring ‘We’ll keep a welcome’ and ‘Men of Harlech’. ['The Pontarddulais choir](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Welsh-Male-Voices-Sing-Gershwin/dp/B0000AM787/ref=sr_1_2/203-9466836-5446317?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1194604588&sr=1-2) sing Gershwin’ including ‘I got rhythym’ and ‘Someone to watch over me’. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/8 "2007-11-09T10:49:11Z")
Shostakovich’s 13th symphony has a solo bass and male choir. Really only ever sounds right sung by Russians. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/9 "2007-11-09T12:55:02Z")
I sing in our local Gay Men’s Chorus, and I’m also on the Music Committee, which selects the pieces that we sing. It’s amazing, with all the men’s choruses out there, especially the gay men’s choruses that are everywhere, that there’s so much music that hasn’t been arranged for TTBB. I’ve been trying to find a TTBB arrangement of Rachmaninoff’s \*Vocalise \*for years. It’s not unusual for our director to arrange, or at least re-voice, music himself, but this is extremely time-consuming. But it does get done, and we put on an amazing show (including lots of dance), and always get rave reviews. Plus, we’re in the process of producing our 4th commercial CD. This is our 20th Anniversary season, and we \*\*\*might \*\*\*be getting Bernadette Peters as our guest star in April. We should be hearing any day now. In our June concert, we’ll be joined by Armistead Maupin. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/10 "2007-11-10T00:51:00Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] I sing in our local Gay Men’s Chorus, and I’m also on the Music Committee, which selects the pieces that we sing. It’s amazing, with all the men’s choruses out there, especially the gay men’s choruses that are everywhere, that there’s so much music that hasn’t been arranged for TTBB. I’ve been trying to find a TTBB arrangement of Rachmaninoff’s \*Vocalise \*for years. It’s not unusual for our director to arrange, or at least re-voice, music himself, but this is extremely time-consuming. But it does get done, and we put on an amazing show (including lots of dance), and always get rave reviews. Plus, we’re in the process of producing our 4th commercial CD. This is our 20th Anniversary season, and we \*\*\*might \*\*\*be getting Bernadette Peters as our guest star in April. We should be hearing any day now. In our June concert, we’ll be joined by Armistead Maupin. [/QUOTE] NCMC?!?? 20th anniversary. Must be! How cool is THAT! I used to freelance for the PD a number of years ago, and I was assigned to write a pre-show story about a semi-staged production of “The Wizard of Oz” by NCMC. I did not get to write the headlines for my stories, but when I sent it in, the title I used was “Ding Dong, the Witch is Queer.” 😃 I’ve never been to a concert, durnit. Now that I’m more west-ish and east-ish, I have to go. Or at least buy a CD! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/11 "2007-11-10T01:05:13Z")
[QUOTE=freckafree] NCMC?!?? 20th anniversary. Must be! How cool is THAT! I used to freelance for the PD a number of years ago, and I was assigned to write a pre-show story about a semi-staged production of “The Wizard of Oz” by NCMC. I did not get to write the headlines for my stories, but when I sent it in, the title I used was “Ding Dong, the Witch is Queer.” 😃 I’ve never been to a concert, durnit. Now that I’m more west-ish and east-ish, I have to go. Or at least buy a CD! [/QUOTE] Yes. I was in that production of the Wizard of Oz (multiple roles, including one of the Lollipop Guild guys). The chorus has enormously grown in numbers and quality since then. You’ve gotta come to our concerts. You’ll be amazed. And I’m also the designer of our CDs. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/12 "2007-11-10T01:17:28Z")
The holiday concert program looks great. I’m going to shoot for that. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/13 "2007-11-10T02:00:33Z")
All I have to say to this is “tredecies pro iter agentibus” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-the-mens-chorus/425751/14 "2007-11-10T03:18:02Z")
I digitized the old vinyl of Robert Shaw’s _With Love from a Chorus_, all that schmaltzy gay-90s stuff like “Wait for the Wagon” and “My Grandfather’s Clock”. Yeah, there’s something about a male chorus that’s like sitting next to a crackling campfire or having a purring kitty cat in your lap or something.