[Choral Piece] Difficult but cool! A work that overwhelms its listeners

Hear My Prayer, O LordLyricist: H. Paaselu / S. Sandström

VOCES8 – Purcell: Hear My Prayer, O Lord

Here, I would like to introduce a choral piece from the classical repertoire.

“Hear My Prayer, O Lord” is a work by Henry Purcell, one of the great composers of the Baroque era.

It features beautiful harmonies with the serene quality characteristic of Baroque music.

In the period when Baroque music was mainstream, ensembles often centered on the voices of castrati—men castrated before their voices changed—but today it is generally sopranos who cover that range.

Each vocal part is clearly independent, and the sustained notes are extremely long, making vertical alignment challenging; moreover, it simply demands strong fundamental stamina as a vocalist.

In short, it is a high-difficulty piece.

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Ryo

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Time Travelersakushi: Fukada Junko, sakkyoku: Hashimoto Shōji

Time Traveler

Released in 1990, “Toki no Tabibito” (Time Traveler) is a three-part mixed chorus piece with lyrics by Junko Fukada and music by Yoshimichi Hashimoto.

The secret behind the song’s difficulty lies in its rich use of key changes! Part 1 is in F major, Part 2 in D minor, Part 3 in D major, and Part 4 in G major—rapid, dramatic modulations that can easily cause you to miss notes if you’re not careful.

In addition, the soprano doesn’t carry the melody throughout; the lead line shifts between parts at each modulation, making it quite a challenge to memorize who sings the main melody when.

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Yuuki

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If I put it into wordsGosuperāzu

If I put it into words

Gospellers’ “Kotoba ni Sureba” evokes a future that shines on endlessly.

Released in 2007 as a double A-side single together with “It Still Matters ~Ai wa Nemuranai~,” this song was created as the required piece for the 2007 NHK National School Music Competition, High School Division.

Its beautiful melody spans a wide vocal range, and the soprano (female) parts in particular demand quite high notes—one of the challenging aspects.

Moreover, despite its driving melodic energy, it’s not enough to simply sing powerfully; refined expressive control is also essential.

Though it presents many difficulties, it’s a piece that offers a strong sense of accomplishment when you see it through to the end.

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SAKI

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HikariSakushi: Seto Saori / Sakkyoku: Matsushita Kou

[Choral Piece] Hikari (Light) / Mixed Three-Part Chorus [With Lyrics]

Hikari captivates with a grand worldview that feels like watching a scene from a musical.

It was created using a poem selected as an outstanding work for the 70th anniversary of the NHK National School Music Competition.

Both the lyrics and the melody depict light gradually emerging from total darkness.

Two major points are how to portray this sense of transition and how to develop a solid understanding of 6/8 time in order to sing the meter and rhythms accurately.

With that foundation, try singing while fully immersing yourself in the world of the piece!

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SAKI

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Friend ~Time of Departure~Sakushi sakkyoku: Kitagawa Yujin / Henkyoku: Aizawa Naoto

Nagoya City Moriyama Nishi Junior High School - Friend ~Time of Departure~ Lyrics/Composition: Yujin Kitagawa Arrangement: Naoto Aizawa

“Tomo ~Tabidachi no Toki~,” written and composed by Yujin Kitagawa of Yuzu.

While it’s a J-pop piece, it was created with choral performance in mind, making it an excellent match for choir.

Compared to pieces known as difficult choral works, this one is relatively easy.

That said, it does have the characteristic challenges of J-pop.

In particular, the opening phrase of the chorus features large leaps in pitch, so the soprano line can be more demanding than in a typical choral piece.

Its heartwarming melody is truly impressive—be sure to check it out.

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Ryo

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Cherry blossom seasonLyrics: ATSUSHI / Composition: ATSUSHI, Tatsurou Mashiko / Arrangement: Masanori Katou

Cherry blossom season

Sakura no Kisetsu is a song by EXILE’s ATSUSHI, released as a single in 2015.

As it was created as the assigned piece for the Junior High School division of the 81st NHK All-Japan School Choir Competition, it’s a work with a high level of completeness as a choral piece.

The pre-chorus and chorus evoke the vibe of Boyz II Men, whom ATSUSHI deeply admires.

With its somewhat Western-style choral arrangement, it can be considered a work of high difficulty in that sense.

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Ryo

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MoldauSakushi: Iwakawa Saburō / Sakkyoku: Bedřich Smetana

Four-Part Chorus by a Married Couple: The Moldau | Covering an Orchestral Masterpiece in Chorus

A choral piece depicting the majestic Bohemian river as it grows from its source into a great waterway.

The original melody is part of a symphonic poem that Bedřich Smetana began composing in November 1874.

In Japan, Saburo Iwakawa provided the lyrics and arrangement, and it has become established as a beautiful Japanese choral teaching piece, passed down and sung by many people.

Because the melody builds gradually from a gentle beginning, aligning the overlaps between parts and the subtle fluctuations in rhythm is a challenging point.

As you vividly imagine the shifting scenes and the expanse of nature, aim to let it resound with a grand sense of scale.