Pop Choral Music: What You Need to Know

Pop choral music has been around for centuries and is a genre that is constantly evolving. If you are new to the world of pop choral music, here is everything you need to know.

Introduction

While choral music is often thought of as classical music sung by a group, there is a growing trend of pop choral music. This type of music often features well-known pop songs arranged for a choir to sing. If you are interested in joining a pop choir or starting one of your own, here is what you need to know.

Pop choral music can be sung by anyone regardless of their singing ability. Classically trained singers may find it easier to read sheet music and sight read, butPop vocal skills are not required to join a pop choir or to enjoy singing this type of music. Pop choirs often rehearse for an hour or two each week and perform periodically for events such as concerts, school functions, and community gatherings.

One benefit of singing in a pop choir is that it gives you the opportunity to sing with other people. This can be a great way to make new friends and meet people with similar interests. Pop choirs also provide an outlet for creativity and self-expression. If you love to sing but do not want to perform solo, singing in a pop choir is a great option.

If you are thinking about joining a pop choir or starting one of your own, there are many resources available to help you get started. There are websites that offer free sheet music and tips for starting a choir. You can also find DVDs and CDs that feature pop choral music so that you can learn the parts at your own pace.

The Different Types of Pop Choral Music

There are lots of different types of pop choral music. You have a cappella, barbershop, close harmony, doo-wop, gospel, madrigal, and more. You might be wondering, what’s the difference between all of these types? Let’s take a closer look.

A Cappella

A cappella music is sung without instrumental accompaniment, and it encompasses a wide variety of styles and genres. This type of music is typically performed by a group of singers, although it can also be sung by a soloist. A cappella music can be traced back to the 14th century, and it has been gaining in popularity in recent years.

One of the most popular styles of a cappella music is barbershop harmony. This style is characterized by close four-part harmony, and it often uses seventh chords and jazz progressions. Barbershop harmony originated in the United States in the late 19th century, and it was popularized by African American groups such as The Mills Brothers and The Ink Spots.

Another popular style of a cappella music is doo-wop. Doo-wop evolved from rhythm and blues in the 1940s, and it became one of the most popular genres of music in the 1950s. Doo-wop groups typically consisted of four or five vocalists who sang harmony vocals over simple chord progressions. Some of the most popular doo-wop groups include The Drifters, The Platters, and Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers.

A cappella music has also been used in a number of films and television shows. In recent years, films such as “Pitch Perfect” and “The Sing Off” have helped to increase the popularity of this type of music. A cappella groups such as Straight No Chaser and Pentatonix have also gained popularity thanks to their appearances on shows such as “The Sing Off” and “The Voice.”

Barbershop

Barbershop music is a style of a cappella close harmony, or unaccompanied vocal music, characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. The melody is often in the lead, above a workable chord. Lyrics are commonly about love and other topics of interest to the general public, and are sometimes sentimental.

The standard repertoire of barbershop pieces includes many songs from the turn of the 20th century as well as more modern pieces. “Sweet Adeline,” “My Wild Irish Rose,” “Shine on, Harvest Moon,” “Just A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet” and “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home” are examples of some classic barbershop tunes. More recent pop songs arranged for barbershop quartets include “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Sledgehammer,” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”

Barbershop music is performed both by men’s and women’s groups; the latter groups are sometimes called sweet adelines. While there are many similarities between the two styles, women’s groups tend to have a sweeter sound and use more intricate harmonies than men’s groups.

Doo-Wop

Doo-wop is a style of rhythm and blues music characterized by a simple vocal harmony arrangement, with little or no instrumental accompaniment. The genre developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s, in African American communities in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Doo-wop reached its peak popularity in the mid-1950s, with groups such as the Moonglows, the Flamingos, and the Drifters scoring numerous hit records. Early doo-wop songs were often based on classic pop standards such as “Heart and Soul”, “My Girl”, “Ain’t That a Shame”, and “Blue Moon”.

Glee

Glee is a popular American television series that aired on Fox from 2009 to 2015. The show follows the lives of the members of a high school glee club as they deal with issues such as friendship, relationships, and competition. The show features a mix of original songs and covers of popular songs, and the cast recordings of these songs have been very successful, reaching the top of the Billboard charts.

Madrigal

Madrigal is a form of a capella choral music that originated in Italy during the Renaissance period. It is characterized by its polyphonic texture, with each voice singing a different melody. Madrigals were often written for four to eight voices, and were often about love. Many famous composers, such as Palestrina and Monteverdi, wrote madrigals.

The History of Pop Choral Music

Pop choral music has its roots in the work of the American composer and educator, Aaron Copland. In the 1930s, Copland began experimenting with what he called “folk music settings” for chorus. These settings were based on traditional American folk songs, but were harmonized and arranged for SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) voices. His most famous work in this genre is probably “The Simple Gifts” which was originally composed for a ballet called “Appalachian Spring”.

Copland’s work was very influential, and in the 1940s other composer began to experiment with setting traditional folk songs for chorus. One of the most important of these composers was Mannheim Steamroller founder Chip Davis. In 1974, Davis released his first album of original Christmas music, “Fresh Aire”. The album featured arrangements of traditional carols for SATB voices, accompanied by electronic instruments. The album was a huge success, and Davis went on to release a series of similar albums featuring settings of folk songs from other cultures (“Fresh Aire II” features Russian folk songs, for example).

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a new wave of pop choral composers began to emerge. These composers were often influenced by Davis’ work, but they also drew inspiration from other sources, including popular TV shows (Glee being a prime example). Today there are many active pop choral composers working in a variety of styles, write music for all kinds of ensembles (including solos and small groups), and create pop choral arrangements of all kinds of popular songs – not just traditional folk tunes.

The Future of Pop Choral Music

Pop choral music, also known as “choir-pop” has been on the rise in recent years. This type of music is a fusion of pop music and classical choral music. It is often performed by a choir or ensemble, and can be either secular or religious in nature.

There are many different types of pop choral music, but some of the most popular include:
-A cappella: This type of pop choral music is sung without any accompaniment.
-Barbershop: This type of pop choral music is characterized by its close harmonies and four-part vocal arrangements.
-Broadway: As the name suggests, this type of pop choral music originated on Broadway. It is known for its theatrical style and show tunes.

Pop choirs have been gaining in popularity all over the world, with groups such as Pentatonix and The King’s Singers becoming household names. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in “choir-pop” concerts, which feature pop choirs performing alongside other musical acts. These concerts are becoming increasingly popular, and it is likely that they will continue to grow in popularity in the years to come.

Conclusion

Pop choral music has come a long way in recent years, and there are now many great options available for choirs of all abilities. Whether you’re looking for something to challenge your advanced singers or something more simple for your beginners, there’s sure to be a pop choral arrangement that’s perfect for your group. And with so many songs to choose from, you’re sure to find a few that your singers will love to perform.