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There Is No Rose of Such Virtue
Bonnie Miksch
No Assembly Edition, SSAATBB, a cappella [Download]
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| Voicing: |
No Assembly Edition SSAATBB a cappella |
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| Choral Series: | Trinitas |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium/Difficult |
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"There Is No Rose of Such Virtue" sets a popular medieval English carol text. Many composers have set this text, and Bonnie Miksch's setting is a very good addition to this body of compositions.
This is an extended and often challeng¼ing composition, intended for an advanced church choir or college/university choir. For those choirs willing to rise to the challenge, this piece is well worth the effort. It is won¼derful in its effects and could be the highlight of a Lessons and Carols program. It will also work as a Christmas anthem or as part of a Christmas concert program.
There is No Rose is written for unaccom¼panied SSAATBB choir. There is extensive divisi in the soprano and bass writing, but the altos and sopranos do not divide at the same time, so a choir with fewer women could still perform the piece with a bit of revoicing.
A variety of choral textures are used in this composition. Some passages of ho¼mophony are included, but most of the writ¼ing is contrapuntal and even quasi-canonic. The contrapuntal writing becomes fairly complex at times, and you need singers who can hold their own line within this texture. The composition tends to highlight the treble voices, as evidenced by the opening and closing passages, a duet between first and second sopranos.The vocal ranges are quite wide, with the sopranos reaching a(3), tenors g(2), and baritones e.
Along with the varying textures, "There Is No Rose" creates musical interest through the subtle rhythm. There is quite a bit of mixed meter, including 7/8, 5/8 and even 8/8.The composer also plays with the basic meter (6/8) alternating between dotted quarter and quarter divisions.This rhythmic complexity is based on the text accents and adds to the interest of this setting.
As with other Trinitas octavos, I like the layout and presentation of the score. It is clean and fairly easy to read...
...This is a challenging composition, but musically rich and satisfying to sing. It will be time well spent for an advanced church choir or university ensemble.
—L. Brett Scott, Choral Journal