Tallis' Spem in alium:
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Choir 1 Soprano

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $239!

Voice Description:
Buzz Aldrin, on the Moon. No, not Neil. That's Alto Choir 1. Regardless, Choir 1 Soprano is a truly special voice. What is a G without its corresponding D? Being first out of the gate means Choir 1 Soprano also hits the first top G (of any voice) in bar 11, which is definitely something (given how many top Gs there are to come, both in this voice and in all the others!). There's a little foretaste of a lovely (and difficult to sing!) upward gesture in bar 21 that will come back with great effect at the second "Respice" and of course some customary "Why are you still singnig?" moments (bar 25, bar 76, etc). And what would the beginning of the "Qui irasceris" theme all the way down there in Choir 8 be without the majesty of a Choir 1 Soprano's leaping gesture in bars 44-45? The simple beauty of Choir 1 Soprano's line at "Et omnia peccata" can't be replicated, and is that a hint of old fashioned word painting at bar 86 ("dimittis" means to send away). Bars 101-103 are highlights as well, and the line at bars 117-121 will be forever etched in listener's memories, leading up to the second "Respice". From there on, Choir 1 Soprano hands off to the rest of the (large!) texture to ride things out until the glorious finish!

Choir 1 Alto

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $231!

Voice Description: Neil Armstrong, on the Moon. A trail blazer. A leader. The tip of the spear. What could be more iconic than this opening? Any performance of Spem requires an alto with nerves of steele because of the oh-so-important job of ... starting the whole thing off! It's also incredibly important to sing a downward leap of a 4th rather than a 5th in bar 2 (I'm told this particular mistake may have derailed a few performances before they really even begin...) and things aren't made any easier by realising that this particular interval is difficult at the best of times - and especially not when your heart is pumping and you have AT LEAST 39 (38 singers and one conductor) listening to your every move. Things quickly calm down, however, and Choir 1 Alto spends quite a lot of time in this piece jumping around below the staff. So, nerves of steel and a flexible, low voice are required. There is a particularly beautiful moment in bar 66 (which you can purchase as a Collection called "Countertenor's Revenge") and a funny rest in the middle of a word in bar 75. We can call bars 93 to 95 "An exploration of the basics of the key of G". Overall, the glory and terror (for the singer) of the first few bars wears off quickly and doesn't really return!

Choir 1 Tenor

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $236!

Voice Description:
Six impossible octave leaps before breakfast! Tallis certainly has faith in this one’s agility! These happen throughout the piece in various places, but - goodness me - Choir 1 Tenor is certainly an athletic voice. It also has the dubious honour of singing the first accidental of the entire piece (bar 8). Treasure that moment, as it also happens to be a false relation against a c-natural in Choir 1 Soprano from a beat earlier - an "English cadence" so early in the piece! A member of Team "Et omnia", Choir 1 Tenor shows off its lyricism (and best attempt at a bass impression) in this delightful, tender passage but things again go a little wild in bars 93-95 when it starts wildly leaping about for no apparent reason. Perhaps Tallis' quill slipped? Choir 1 Tenor makes everyone aware that the first "Respice" chord is definitely A MAJOR (c-sharps galore!) and then sets into its familiar leaping about until finally coming to rest at the end. All in all, a whirlwind journey!

Choir 1 Baritone

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $234!

Voice Description:
Leaping Lizards! (Well, leaping Baritones, really). Choir 1 Baritone, on top of being part of the glory group that is Choir 1, also apparently is a fan of octave leaps. Bars 14 and 15 attest to this, as do bars 19 and 20, 23, and many more. Don't let Choir 1 Baritone's minimal contribution to the beauty of the "Et omnia" interlude confuse you (bars 65-67) - this is a voice for the jumpy among us. There's also just a litle bit of "look at me" about this voice: witness the end of bar 87 and beginning of bar 88, where Baritone Choir 1 seems to ignore completely the fact that all of his Choir 1 colleagues have ceased singing... Choir 1 Baritone goes back to the same "simplicity well" from which he drew inspiration during "Et omnia" when it comes time for his first go at "Creator caeli" (bars 93-95) and also has some "short and sweet" moments: bars 129 and 130 contain two articulations of the word "nostram" in quite a matter-of-fact fashion. Some uncharacteristic syncopation toward the end (bar 136) leads to the final flourish and finally he can rest.

Choir 1 Bass

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $194!

Voice Description:
A quiet member of the glamour group that is Choir 1, Choir 1 Bass has as few claims to fame. The epic majesty of bar 24 can't be overstated (have a look... it really is as simple as it gets!) and the timpanist impression in bars 42-45 is truly impressive. A great shame, however, is that (with Choir 2 Bass), Choir 1 Bass misses out on the chance to take part in one the most tender and beautiful little moment of calm in the entire piece ("Et omnia" of bars 65-68). Perhaps Tallis didn't trust such a moment of beauty to this voice? Surely not. Again found napping (and again with Choir 2 Bass - do these guys know something we don't?) in bars 91-95, Choir 1 Bass finally has a true moment to shine, albeit in a very subtle way in bar 110, when the overwhelming A-major of the first "Respice" is singlehandedly turned into A-minor with his little run of quarter notes. (Choir 5 Tenor helps out, but don't tell him that!) More napping occurs in bars 118-121 and this time his partner in crime, Choir 1 Bass deserts him: poor Choir 1 Bass. Then it's a run into the final flourish where, perhaps churlishly, Choir 1 Bass refuses to provide the customary root of the chord on the final note!

Choir 2 Soprano

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $230!

Voice Description:
All eight soprano parts in Spem are special. Soaring above the melee below, their melodies define a large amount of what the listener hears and remembers. Choir 2 Soprano participates in this joint soprano effort effectively without too much attention grabbing. There is, however, the extraordinary entry in bar 40 (the big "Praeter in te" entry) where she feels as though she's now sufficiently warmed up to just leap at four consecutive top Gs! Perhaps the wild syncopation of bars 13, 14, and 15 were enough to sufficiently wake up the voice for this feat. The way in which the Choir 1 and Choir 2 soprano lines interact during the beautiful "Et omnia" moment is really special, however: first in thirds, then beautifully crossing parts... but then immediately all of that subtlety is thrown out the window as there are more opportunities to sing lots and lots of top Gs!!! There's a lovely little almost-complete downward scale of D minor that makes a brief appears in bars 104 and 105, followed shortly by some more top G wailing (bar 107). It's always about those top Gs, isn't it?? Finally, at the very end, however, Choir 2 Soprano passes the baton to her Choir 4 and Choir 7 colleagues, graciously agreeing to allow them the honour (burden?) of holding a top G for the final chord. Perhaps once so many top Gs are executed flawlessly, there's not much else to say?

Choir 2 Alto

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $229!

Voice Description:
Choir 2 Alto's major claim to fame is its ardent desire to be in Choir 1! Choir 2 Alto is in fact the third voice, of all forty, to enter, meaning that the way the piece comes across to the listener is actually first as a duet (Choir 1 Alto & Choir 1 Soprano), followed by a four-part choir (Choir 2 Alto, Choir 1 Baritone, Choir 1 Tenor, Choir 1 Bass), followed by another four-part choir (the rest of Choir 2). What an odd way to start - but fascinating! Tallis plays around a little with blurring the lines between choirs throughout the rest of the piece, but at the very beginning, Choir 2 Alto's unique role in this is the most striking instance of that. It's evident that Tallis had some sort of strange sense of humour as well in his writing for this voice. What on earth is going on in bars 43 and 44 on the words "Israel"? Why not just put these three notes A FULL OCTAVE BELOW the rest of this perfectly self-respecting phrase? Choir 2 Alto is a member of a very special club, known as the "Et omnia" club. This special moment (bars 65-68) is one of the only real moments of tenderness and inward music in the entire piece. Being an alto voice, Choir 2 Alto has a crack at the famous "Domine Deus" melody (bars 91 and 92) before the only other moment of real individual glory, the final flourish before the second "Respice" entry (bar 121). Everyone can hear this moment and the texture is dying away... so no pressure!

Choir 2 Tenor

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $243!

Voice Description:
Choir 2 Tenonr makes a modest start, playing its role calmly and without too much fuss. It doesn't really getting going until a burst of activity in bars 43, 44, and 45 when it starts to get jealous of all the leaping around Choir 2 Soprano is doing and decides to join in. Back into its box it goes for some lovely supporting cast work in the lovely "Et omnia" moment, but then the fireworks arrive in bars 82 and 83. So mamy eighth notes! In a moment of distraction, Choir 2 Tenor starts doing some vocal exercises (G minor scales, anyone?) in bars 100 and 101 (and you can purchase this unique moment as a Collection entitled "The Tenor 2 Espresso Moment" if this catches your attention) but then blends back in for some unremarkable "Respice" and "Creator caeli" work. However, there is a real moment to come. In fact, after this inauspicious start, Choir 2 Tenor launches into an extremely beautiful and expressive moment of pure genius. Bars 119-121 contain another G major scale, but this time the voice soars above the rest of the group just as the entire texture is dying away, preparing the listener for the magic of the second "Respice" chord. This scale is... just magic. In fact, this scale is Greg Skidmore's favourite moment of the entire piece. (You can purchase this as a Collection called, fittingly, "Greg's Favourite Line Of The Whole Piece!!"). After this, Choir 2 Tenor gives us pretty smooth sailing until the end of the piece, but after a moment of such jaw-dropping beauty, it's entirely understandable that this particular voice would feel as though it's contributed enough!

Choir 2 Baritone

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $238!

Voice Description:
Choir 2 Baritone is a member of the supporting cast, but there are a few highlights to mention. First, just to get warmed up, there are some "numquam" shenanigans to navigate in bar bar 20, but we'll just overlook those for the moment. Choir 2 Baritone has a special part to play in the beautiful "Et omnia" moment, by pretending it's actually a bass part (in bar 65), but then it falls unexpectedly into a C major black hole in bars 70 to 74 (don't let that A natural fool you in bar 72 - we'll look the other way). Choir 2 Baritone briefly pops up and takes the spotlight in bar 108, working with Choir 2 Tenor in a little duet that it needs to get right in order for the first "Respice" to really zing. Choir 2 Baritone's supportive tendencies are again on display as it holds a long note while it gazes up lovingly at Choir 2 Tenor in bars 119, 120, and 121. After having enjoyed itself so much, Choir 2 Baritone catches a second wind toward the end of the piece and ends on a high - literally a high note. The last two bars of the piece are spent right at the top of its range! What a finish.

Choir 2 Bass

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $205!

Voice Description:
Choir 2 Bass doesn't make a hugely bold start, and settles into its role as a "low and slow" guy, providing the bedrock for the leaping about happening above. In bar 45 and 46, however, perhaps this gets tedious, as the voice tries desperately to be heard with this upward leap, after the rest of Choirs 1 and 2 have stopped singing. Successful? We're not so sure... However, more blunders are coming. Choir 2 Bass completely misses out on its opportunity to join the "Et omnia" gang. What a beautiful moment - missed! At least it can commiserate with Choir 1 Bass, who also makes the same mistake. It almost happens again, however, in bar 81 only to be rescued at the last minute (in bar 82!) But the lesson wasn't learned. Look at the lazy behaviour on display in bars 91-95! Shameful. (Again, Choir 1 Bass is in on this too. Do these two guys have another gig to sing or something?) All is forgiven, however, as Choir 2 Bass lays down a profound fundament underneath the second "Respice" entry and then provides an entirely respectable run in to the end. Reputation well and truly saved.

Choir 3 Soprano

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $234!

Voice Description:
Choir 3 Soprano is a member of Choir 3, one of the more unassuming choirs. To begin, the most remarkable thing about the first few bars of this voice's journey is the incredible range traversed in bars 22, 23, and 24. An octave and a 5th! That's quite a way to go in the space of 3 bars. After slightly jumping the gun on the idea of the "big Praeter in te" entry in bar 35 (you can buy this moment in a Collection entitled "Little 'Praeter in te' entry"), Choir 3 Soprano then proceeds to miss the bus entirely and come in a full two half notes late at the end of bar 40. However, perhaps this is because Choir 3 Soprano just feels massive solidarity with Choir 5 Tenor who also misses the bus but compensates by launching himself at a string of top Gs. Given that Choir 3 Soprano has the exact same pitches as this heroic tenor, it surely is some sort of conspiracy. Choir 3 Soprano provides the listener with the last "Et propitius eris" entry starting in bar 62 (which is also available to purchase as a Collection called "Soprano line for all to hear") before the lovely "Et omnia" moment which, unfortunately, doesn't involve Choir 3. One more moment of ecstatic effort is evident in bar 74, before joining in with the first "proper" "Domine Deus" entry in bar 88. After the first "Respice", the "humilitatem nostram"s that follow all lack a bass part. In Choir 3 here (bars 113-118), this thinning is exacerbated by Soprano Choir 3 being abandoned by BOTH the bass and baritone in Choir 3! The top G in bar 123 is a really magic moment, as it's usually sung quite softly, and that sets up Soprano Choir 3 for a lovely run to the end.

Choir 3 Alto

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $273!

Voice Description:
A first look through the beginning of Choir 3 Alto might suggest that this poor voice has a cold... it's forever plunging down to the depths. There are some wild upward adventures (bar 42), but mainly we're looking at ledger lines here. The exception that proves the rule, however, comes in the form of stratospheric singing in bar 64, which - of course - also needs to be executed in a gradual diminuendo. Virtuosic stuff. More virtuosity appears in bar 70 with a delightful little head waggle of eighth notes. One wonders whether Tallis remembered this part and listened out for it specifically... Was Tallis having fun with this part? More evidence might come in an absurd duet between Choir 3 Alto and Choir 3 Tenor in bar 75. Why sing a normal word when you can put a rest right in the middle of it? A proud member of the "First Proper Domine Deus" club, Choir 3 (and therefore Choir 3 Alto) spends quite a lot of time working on the Domine Deus's and the Creator caeli's... There's a delightful musica ficta question that occurs in bar 114: should Choir 3 Alto sing a g-sharp in this bar? Discuss... Bars 128, 129, and 130 in Choir 3 Alto can otherwise be known as "You didn't hear me? Here it is again! AND AGAIN!!". At the very end, this voice rediscovers its ledger line home, like a long lost friend.

Choir 3 Tenor

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $250!

Voice Description:
Choir 3 Tenor (or as some of the more snarky among us might call him, "Jose Carreras" - being the 3rd tenor...) makes a pretty unremarkable start, dutifully jumping around, filling in the texture, gradually joining the unfolding texture of this wonderful piece. Being in Choir 3, there is of course the "Big Praeter In Te Entry Before The Big Praeter In Te Entry" to be reckoned with in bar 35 (and you can buy this moment as a Collection entitled "Little 'Praeter in te' entry"). One wonders whether Tallis realised the task he was setting his poor tenor colleague when writing the entry in bar 58 - 12 bars of nothing and then a top G entry! Not kind, Tallis. Choir 3 Tenor also has a rather bizarre phrase to navigate in bars 70-75... "melodic" is definitely NOT the word I'd use here. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to guess that Tallis might have written Choir 3 Tenor last just in this section. It even ends with the weirdest duet in the world, with Choir 3 Alto, in bar 75. Go home, Tallis. Get some sleep and come back tomorrow. Invigorated, the next entries for Choir 3 Tenor are great! Strong, declarative. Tallis must have heard my advice. And more evidence of this comes at the magical second "Respice" entry, when Choir 3 Tenor has a fantastic, arching, syncopated little pattern. A moment to shine! A little bit of silliness occurs in bars 130 and 131 before a blast of top Gs (bar 132) and a ramping up of the activity until the final crowning glory of BEING THE LAST PERSON IN THE WHOLE CHOIR TO SING THE SYLLABLE "NO-" OF "NOSTRAM"! Revel in your quarter note moment of fame! Well done, Choir 3 Tenor. You've had a weird piece, but you certainly came through in fine form right at the end.

Choir 3 Baritone

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $281!

Voice Description:
Choir 3 Baritone has a bit of an identity problem. It takes 42 bars before this voice gets up the courage (energy?) to sing above an A-below-middle-C. Is this actually a bass part? Who will ever know? Perhaps this same identify problem is behind the refusal to stop singing in bar 45 (like the rest of Choir 3). At the end of bar 57, does this voice again get confused about what part to sing and instead jumps in right after the bass entry? There is more of this tomfoolery: bar 76 contains a very fast and very impressive upward scale, but is this buried amongst Choir 7 and 8's pesky, more-important material? In bar 88 and 90 Choir 3 Baritone does its best alto impression this time. What a confused picture we're painting here! There is a great timpanist impression in bar 105 after which all of this has evidently got very exhausting so things chill right out (bars 106-110) - so much so that Choir 3 Baritone just takes a holiday at the next Choir 3 entry (bar 113, 114, etc). One final push of athleticism characterises Choir 3 Baritone's run to the finish, followed by two emphatic "nostram"s! (bars 135, 136, and 137). What a run!

Choir 3 Bass

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $269!

Voice Description:
Choir 3 Bass is a solid, dependable, bass. Two quarter notes in the first 39 bars. That's a solid effort. In fact, the number of quarter notes contained in this voice in the entire piece won't fill many more fingers than are on two hands... When it comes time for Choirs 3 and 4 to make their long-awaited "Creator caeli" entry, Choir 3 Bass provides the harmonic backbone. However, along with Choir 4 Bass, our solid and dependable Choir 3 Bass just refuses to sing bars 104 to 107, even though the rest of Choirs 3 and 4 are merrily continuing their "Creator caeli"-ing. Why? Maybe the notes are just so low they cannot be written down? A brief moment of melodic interest characterises Choir 3 Bass's approach to the first "Respice" but that's all that can be mustered until the second "Respice". More long notes and harmonic underpinning leads Ol' Reliable to the end of the piece, when - you guessed it - two very long bottom Gs are laid down for everyone else to dance upon... (bars 135-end).

Choir 4 Soprano

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $219!

Voice Description:
While it takes a little while for Choir 4 Soprano to come in (all four of her Choir 4 colleagues will probably start looking at her quizzically in around bar 18), she makes up for it in bars 26 and 27 with some quizzical looks of her own right back at her baritone and bass colleagues, who have given up at that point. Slackers. Choir 4 Soprano is also the top of the "Praeter in te" advance party in bar 35 (you can buy this whole little vanguard action as a Collection entitled "Little 'Praeter in te' entry") and gives it some real wallop in bar 43 and 59 - all perhaps to make up for the slight late-off-the-mark nature of the first entry. All is forgiven, however, in bars 64 and 65 as Choir 4 Soprano provides an elegant swirling gesture to hand over to the "Et omnia" crowd in Choirs 1 and 2. A beautiful moment of baton-passing. One wonders, however, if Tallis was playing a trick on the poor person signed up to sing Choir 4 Soprano when he wrote bars 71, 72, and 73. Almost a fascinating triple cross rhythm... ALMOST! Perhaps in anger at having been inflicted with this little trap, Choir 4 Soprano just lets rip in bar 75. Quite right, too. There's a lovely little moment in bar 104 where Choir 4 Soprano hooks up with Choir 3 Soprano to pass around a little downward scale of eighth notes. Delightful. This collaborative spirit is short lived, however, as Choir 4 Soprano grabs all of the spotlight for herself in bars 107 and 108, even though everyone else is getting quieter. You go for it! If you want a moment in Spem in alium where the audience will hear you, this is it! Choir 4 Soprano is back to her tardy ways for the very last phrase, however, as this voice is the last voice to enter after the second "Respice". In the end, however, this voice makes its presence felt by belting out a top G on the last chord. That'll show your quizzical-look colleagues!

Choir 4 Alto

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $274!

Voice Description:
Choir 4 Alto leads the charge for all of Choir 4, right at the beginning. One wonders whether a soprano entry is expected at all... (it doesn't come until bar 19, a full three bars after Choir 4 Alto has come in). Quickly, Choir 4 Alto builds a reputation for itself as "The Alto That Just Won't Quit". In bars, 28, 38, 46, and 87 we find here little "trailing off" endings to these phrases. If Tallis knew the people he was writing for, was he making some sort of point here? Was Choir 4 Alto going to be sung by one of those annoying singers who never stops singing when the conductor stops and wants to say something? (WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!) (A notable exception to this rule must be mentioned about bar 65: here Choir 4 Alto understands the beauty of the "Et omnia" that's about to come and plays ball.) We'll call bars 69-75 "Playing with Triads". Have a look. You'll see what I mean. We'll also call bars 90-99 (which, incidentally, contains quite a few rests) "Playing with the note A". Even more inventive, Tallis. Way to go. A hugely consequential bar(!) four from the end (bar 135) leads Choir 4 Alto to the end of its journey. For all the "trailing off" from earlier, it's understandable that this voice just wants it to be over with...

Choir 4 Tenor

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $233!

Voice Description:
Choir 4 Tenor starts out pretty unremarkably - some leaps, some syncopations - nothing fancy. However, extreme joy at being a part of the "Praeter in te" tease (which you can purchase as a Collection entitled "Little 'Praeter in te' entry") in bar 35 results in a huge octave leap in bar 37. Shoot for the moon! In bar 57, whoever sings this voice must make sure that he doesn't get to wrapped up in the importance of his Choir 4 Baritone's "Important B-flat" at the end of bar 56, meaning his entry in bar 57 is flubbed - it's important too! Bars 60 and 61 might just be considered a range test... Bars 74 and 75 see Choir 4 Tenor take part in a 3-part "In tribulatione" moment that actually makes sense for a change (We're looking at you, Choir 3 Alto and Tenor). Choir 4 Tenor's journey through "Domine Deus" and "Creator caeli" might be characterised as "solid": lots of half notes and block chords. Way to go. Show us the structure. In contrast, however, Choir 4 Tenor also can give us some serious flare in bars 115 and 116. What lyricism! Choir 4 Tenor ends the piece by showing off how well it knows the notes in a G major triad. Well done, there. Back to bed now...

Choir 4 Baritone

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $273!

Voice Description:
Choir 4 Baritone starts out the journey by laying down an exemplary rendition of the main point of imitation. What's odd is that, in 20 it's given another go, up a 4th. Wasn't it good enough the first time? Perhaps as an answer, Choir 4 Baritone stops singing two bars earlier than would make sense, in bar 25. If this isn't walking off in a huff, musically speaking, I don't know what is! Choir 4 Baritone and Choir 4 Bass, who were in lock step in refusing to continue in bar 25, continue to have each other's backs in bar 35 and 36, providing the bedrock for the first "Praeter in te" entry. Next, however, comes a big moment to shine. One of the two "important" B-flats is entrusted to Choir 4 Baritone in bar 56! (This bar - and in fact the important B-flat itself - can be purchased as a Collection entitled "Important B-flat Number Two".) These are waypoints along the journey for the whole choir; they're audible and they signal important changes of harmony. As in some other voices, from bar 69 on, Tallis seems to have Choir 4 Baritone two simple jobs. First, tell us all about the notes in a C major triad (bars 70 to 73). Second tell us all about the notes in a G major triad (bars 74 and 75). Well done, Choir 4 Baritone. Mission accomplished, and you also managed to give us a nice little duet with Choir 4 Tenor in bar 75. Overachiever! All this triadic leaping seems to get entirely forgotten in bars 104 and 105 when the brief instead becomes "Sing the note 'A'". Perhaps exhausted by all this complicated polyphony (singing notes of triads!), Choir 4 Baritone ends the piece by jumping around a little, but mainly keeping its head below the parapet. Bar 136 has a little flourish, and the last bar might be a nice opportunity to practice one's pure major thirds, but by and large, the piece is ended ably and unremarkably. Well done. Very solid.

Choir 4 Bass

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $256!

Voice Description:
As the mammoth texture of Spem in alium is loosely split into two groups, Choir 4 Bass acts as the support structure for the top 20 voices. This is an important job! However, it does mean a lot of long notes and not much leaping about. Two quarter notes before bar 40? Why not - and those were a bit of a stretch! In bar 24 and 25, Choir 4 Bass actually provides a sustained bottom F - the lowest note in the piece so far, and in fact the lowest note that any voice reaches throughout the work. After performing this feat of profundity, Choir 4 Bass then... gives up. Leave the rest of this phrase to the top three voices in Choir 4. Sounds great, you guys! What's that?? Actual EIGHTH NOTES? Bar 44 contains so many surprises. "Et omnia peccata hominum" (not the small entry, but the big one) provides bit a little bit of leaping, but as this voice's job is to be strong and stable, this is only a minimal display. "Domine Deus" (bars 88-91) and "Creator caeli" (bars 96-97) contain more structural soundness, but this is followed quickly by a wildly decorative foray in bar 98. What got into you? Obviously Choir 4 Bass needs some time to rest after this exertion, so the rest of the "Creator caeli" section is left entirely to the other four voices in Choir 4. In bar 109, however, Choir 4 Bass combines with Choir 1 Bass to produce one of the most wonderful moments in the piece. Choir 4 Bass's C-sharp at the end of bar 109 is immediately erased by Choir 1 Bass's C-natural at the beginning of bar 110. How rude! (But it really is a wonderful little harmonic turn from A-major to A-minor in the blink of an eye.) Apparently, when exciting things happen in this voice, it needs some time off to recuperate, so - again - another missed entry in bar 115... Minimal leaps, including some dutiful attempts at syncopation, characterise Choir 4 Bass's final run in to the final chord. One wonders what surprise might arise when it is in fact a middle G given to Choir 4 Bass at the very end rather than a low one!

Choir 5 Soprano

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $200!

Voice Description:
As the leader of Choir 5, Choir 5 Soprano makes the executive decision for the entire choir that the actual title of the piece is too passé after such a long wait (22 bars!), so this voice powers in with the introduction of the second line of text ("Praeter in te"), forsaking "Spem in alium" entirely. Being a soprano, Choir 5 Soprano also includes some of the most recognisable soaring melodies, the first of which occurs in bars 31, 32, and 33. Show Soprano Choir 8 (who attempts the same phrase immediately afterward) how it's done... Choir 5 Soprano is something of a top G specialist, it appears (bars 41 and 42; 72, 73, and 74, 79... the list goes on!), and in fact shows Choir 8 Soprano how it's done with another iconic soaring phrase (bars 78-81), this time a tone higher than Choir 8 Soprano's attempt. (What is it between these two??) An extreme version of the "Interrupt A Perfectly Good Word With A Rest" game that Tallis plays a lot happens in bar 86. Choir 5 Soprano is back to her lofty, soaring tricks in bars 111 and 112, and takes the baton brilliantly from Choir 5 Tenor with a really beautiful upward flourish in bar 123. Choir 5 Soprano's main contribution to the big tutti run in to the final chord is likely the loudest F-sharp ever in bar 130. Remember, as all good performances of this piece will use some sort of unequal temperament, this F-sharp needs to feel as LOW as it's possible for an F-sharp to feel!

Choir 5 Alto

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $266!

Voice Description:
Choir 5 Alto starts in a relatively unremarkable way, following on dutifully from its soprano colleague by forsaking the first phrase of the text. This voice again forsakes the rest of Choir 5 entirely in bar 34 but this slight isn't long lived. In bars 40-43, Choir 5 Alto makes it clear that it has been paying attention in syncopation class. A small moment of glory comes in bar 69, when Choir 5 Alto is one of only four voices in the entire texture who preempt the big "Et omnia" entry. Go for it! Take your moment in the spotlight. Some more quite intricate syncopation happens in bars 73 and 74 which needs to be sung correctly or else there could be a large moment of embarrassment if the first moment of complete silence is trodden upon. (You can purchase that entire moment by buying a collection entitled "The Big Rest".) All this syncopating has really paid off by this point, as Choir 5 Alto takes the lead in bar 85 by beginning to leap about a beat and a half before the entire rest of the texture crashes in. Having taken confidence from this bold lead, Choir 5 Alto then offers the first instance of a famous and well-heard little phrase in bar 87. (This moment is also available to purchase as a collection called "That Time Alto 5 starts the Motive!") Again bolding leading, Choir 5 Alto is the first voice to sing the words "humilitatem" at that wonder moment at the end of bar 109. As the final roll toward the end picks up speed, Choir 5 Alto attempts the most audacious (and here, unfortunately, inaudible) syncopation yet, in bar 131. What? Why? We don't ask these questions.

Choir 5 Tenor

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $226!

Voice Description:
It appears as though Choir 5 Tenor didn't quite get the memo about Spem in alium being in G major. Every B this voice produces for the entirety of the opening section is in fact a B-flat. The first B-natural comes not until bar 34! Already a top F on a dotted whole note (long!) AND a top G (high!) before even reading the key signature properly... It seems as though Choir 5 Tenor is a little bit of a show off: in bar 35, it takes the spotlight; in bar 40, it waits for the huge "Praeter in te" entry to happen and THEN jumps in on repeated top Gs; in bar 60 not only does it not finish the rest of Choir 5, but pops in another top G, just for good measure. There's a nice little duetting moment with Choir 5 Soprano in bars 78-81 when this voice realises that if it tries to sing YET ANOTHER top G, Choir 5 Soprano will likely obliterate the attempt. Perhaps in attempt to make up for the key signature reading error at the beginning of the piece, or maybe as a result of just having trouble with knowing the difference between major and minor keys in general(!), Choir 5 Tenor ends up giving us one of the most wonderful moments of the entire piece. The big "Respice" chord in bar 108 (which can be purchased in its entirety as a collection called "'HEY LOOK AT US!'") is definitely an A MAJOR chord, and Choir 5 Tenor makes us know that. That C-sharp boldness is quickly lost, however, as the humility of the next entry (setting the word "humilitatem" - get it?) causes Choir 5 Tenor to go back on its C-sharp experiment, turning things decidedly minor. This subtle shift from A-major to A-minor at the end of bar 109 is really very beautiful for the listener. Back to its showy ways, while the majority of the rest of the voices are singing a dotted whole note in bar 122, Choir 5 Tenor instead embarks on a dotted upward scale! (Again, getting and reading memos is not something this voice is good at, apparently.) The final romp home is pretty unremarkable. Perhaps Choir 5 Tenor was worn out from all of its limelight-hogging...

Choir 5 Baritone

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $277!

Voice Description:
Being a member of Choir 5, and evidently paying far too much attention to Choir 5 Tenor, Choir 5 Baritone is also inflicted with a total lack of reading-the-key-signature ability. It's not in fact until bar 40 arrives, when ALL of the other parts of banging home G MAJOR that Choir 5 Baritone relents and sings its first B-natural. Liking this whole "G major tonality" thing, Choir 5 Baritone then proceeds to sing a lot of Gs and Ds (bars 41-45). Well done, and we'll forget about that sneaky C in bar 43! While it may seem up to this point that Choir 5 Baritone may be on the sleepy side of things, mixing up its key signatures, etc, an incredibly important note is about to be entrusted to its care: The B-flat that happens at the end of bar 52 is CRUCIAL to the smooth running of the whole piece. (It's so important that you can actually buy it as a collection, called - appropriately - "Important B-flat Number One"). On this note hangs the progress of a gradual shift to F-major, but more importantly, on this note hangs the conductor's hopes of not getting lost in the score... Make eye contact and don't flub it! It doesn't help that this note comes straight on the heels of a really weird syncopated bit (bars 50-52). Much of the rest of Choir 5 Baritone's journey is less important than this - quite a lot of leaping about, some syncopation, but all of that is pretty standard stuff. There's a team-up with Choir 5 Tenor at the end of bar 131 in an attempt to be heard, but this surely will come to nothing. Only a few other voices, however, contain a moment of such importance.

Choir 5 Bass

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $237!

Voice Description:
Choir 5 Bass is one of the least "bass-like" Bass voices in the entire texture. Starting from the end of the third bar, already it's finding harmonies and filling in chords. Where are your natural bass instincts?? (Don't try an compensate for all of this with bar 34. It won't work.) Yes, a brief flirtation with both giving us the point of imitation and providing the bass line in bars 50-52 helps your cause, but getting out of the way for Choir 5 Baritone to give us the "Important B-flat" and then abandoning your duties yet again shows your true colours! In fact, bars 57-60 show a woeful dereliction of duty! Choir 5 is still singing! Can you not hear them?? What's this? A change of heart in bars 69-72? C major is a great key, you're right. You give us that triad! (... and then proceed to go leaping about in bars 75 and 76. It's what we've come to expect.) Choir 5 Bass later teams up with Choir 6 Bass to NOT sing in support of their respective choirs in bars 95-98. It appears as though we have some troublemakers on our hands here, as these voices pull the same trick after the first "Respice" entry. After all this cheekiness has been exhausted, Choir 5 Bass limps home with long notes and low notes, finally coming to rest on a - you guessed it - bottom G!

Choir 6 Soprano

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $210!

Voice Description:
Many people say it's important to know how to make an entrance. Well, Choir 6 Soprano DEFINITELY knows how to do this. Fourth note = top G. Why not? Also not content to let Choir 5 Tenor get the prize for Best Ragged Phrase Ending in bar 35, Choir 6 Soprano then shows off some extraordinary syncopation and leaping ability throughout bars 40-45. As part of Choir 6's dedication to a convoluted expression of "in tribulatione" in bars 78-81, Choir 6 Soprano does all sorts of things: rests in the middle of words, lots of leaping around, you name it. In bar 87, Choir 6 Soprano, along with Choir 6 Alto, Choir 6 Tenor, and Choir 5 Baritone are the REAL "Domine Deus" pioneers - don't listen to what Choir 3 or 4 might tell you. Choir 6 Soprano is also the first voice to take up the "humilitatem" theme in bar 110 (until Choir 5 Soprano comes along and steals the thunder!) Is that a little sting in the tail of this phrase in bar 114 to retaliate? Surely Choir 6 Soprano wouldn't be so childish.... The final run in to the final chord is mainly characterised by extreme syncopation in Choir 6 Soprano. Are we sure we know where the beat is? Rather, it's pretty important the singer of this part knows EXACTLY where the beat is. (When bar 133 comes along, however, just open up and let fly those top Gs!)

Choir 6 Alto

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $255!

Voice Description:
Choir 6 Alto appears to be an extremely excitable voice. Most of the first theme (obviously, being in Choir 6, Choir 6 Alto has no intention of actually singing the words "Spem in alium") is spent leaping around, putting rests where they shouldn't belong in the bar, and, in bar 43, saying 4 syllables in a row SO fast that this surely becomes garbled. Given that there are 39 other voices singing their hearts out at this particular moment, it's unlikely this particular garble will make it to the ear of the listener... Choir 6 Alto is indeed a strange one: more evidence can be found in bars 74, 75, and 76. What?? More wildness occurs in bar 86 before snapping into focus for the first PROPER "Domine Deus" entry in bar 87, but it's back to the weirdness in 98 (for instance). Choir 6 Alto uses bars 127-130 as a way of just showing off the width of its range, apparently, or is that some sort of odd warm up exercise? Finally, this bonkers voice part comes to rest a full bar and a half before the last bar of the piece. Perhaps all this exertion got the best of it and it threw in the towel early?

Choir 6 Tenor

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $237!

Voice Description:
While Spem in alium is certainly an odd piece in many ways, there's a satisfying logic to it, especially how the texture fills out from to top to the bottom of the score at the very beginning. It's a beautiful cascade. Unfortunately, Choir 6 Tenor doesn't seem to agree. Choir 5, starting in bar 23, operates according to the epitome of an orderly entry pattern - which Choir 6 Tenor entirely misinterprets and comes in miles early! Well done, Choir 6 Tenor. You messed it up for everyone. Don't go pointing to bar 32 to bolster your "orderly" credentials. A nice little circular phrase it is, yes, but we know what you've done. Regardless of all of this, one wonders if it's really necessary for Choir 6 Tenor to completely obliterate the delightful (if odd) eighth notes happening in Choir 6 Alto in bar 43 with a big top G entry. In fact, this top G thing really gets going in a big way in bars 70 and 71. Goodness! And what an eighth note run in bar 76! That's surely just showing off now. Choir 6 Tenor takes part in the REAL "Domine Deus" entry in bar 87 but then seems to entirely forget where the beat is in bars 122-126. One final launch at a string of top Gs (bar 135 and 136) leads this voice to its final resting place... finally this wild journey can come to an end!

Choir 6 Baritone

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $256!

Voice Description:
Choir 6 Baritone is definitely one of the more jumpy voices. These voices are characterised by fast notes and big intervallic leaps. Often, they are characterised by quite odd bars as well. Exhibit A: Choir 6 Baritone, bar 41. Short and sweet. Often as well, all this exertion can tire a poor voice out and they need some time to rest and recuperate (bars 43-46, in the context of the wild activity of the preceding sections). Rests in the middle of words often occur as well (bar 75 anyone?). Choir 6 Baritone is so worn out by this stage that it can't contribute to the first REAL "Domine Deus" entry in bar 87, unfortunately, and its efforts in bars 95 through 98 are pretty... feeble. As the final section unfolds, however, we realise that all of this resting was just preparing for another blast of action, as from bar 123 onward Choir 6 Baritone is back to bouncing off the walls...

Choir 6 Bass

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $238!

Voice Description:
In great contrast to some of its Choir 6 colleagues, Choir 6 Bass assumes the role of support - dependable, reliable, slow moving, low, solid. Peak bass, in other words. This piece needs that! However, in a commendable display of fidelity to the text, the words "in tribulatione" inspire a serious departure from this solidity. All of a sudden that are dotted notes and - what? - eighth-note scalar passages?? (bar 80) This fleetness of foot continues in bars 86 and 87 before, worn out, Choir 6 Bass just refuses to sing with the rest of Choir 6 in bar 95. Outright refusal (with Choir 5 Bass also refusing, just for moral support). A feeble attempt to rejoin the fray occurs in bar 99 but doesn't last long. Truly running out of steam now, Choir 6 Bass can only offer a single "Respice" in bar 108 while the rest of Choir 6 continue on. The final section is divided between these two extremes: dependable half notes and whole notes, contrasted with flashes of leaping. Make up your mind, Choir 6 Bass! Perhaps finishing the piece on a low major third is meant to impress (it sort of does, actually!) but this voice's journey has been, well, "unique".

Choir 7 Soprano

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $187!

Voice Description:
Choir 7 Soprano. Oh, Choir 7 Soprano. This is truly one of the stand-out voices of the whole piece. To begin, however, there are 28 full bars of rest! Lazy? Not on your life. This is all leading up to greatness. The first phrase is decidedly unremarkable. The, however, the rocket ignites: bar 39 and 40! (You can buy this moment as a Collection entitled "The Money Note"). Bar 44 gives us a glimpse of what is to come. Here, as would only make sense, Choir 8 begins the slow climb back up the texture of imitative entries that mirrors the descent down the texture from the very beginning, with their "Qui irasceris" entries beginning in Choir 8 Bass - but wait! What happens in Choir 7 Soprano in bar 44?? What's going on? Have you forgotten what choir you're in, Choir 7 Soprano? Perhaps, but then the real magic begins in bar 53 - Choir 7 Soprano just continues on, totally isolated, totally unaware, totally wild. This whole expedition can (of course!) be purchased as a Collection with the apt title "Choir 7 Soprano goes off on one". This is truly one of the most strange bits of Spem in alium and means this voice has gone down in history as a very odd one. The athleticism doesn't really stop there. Have a look at bar 75, for instance, or bar 99! (What on earth is up with bars 86 and 87? Brain freeze?) From the end of bar 132 until the end, Choir 7 Soprano again takes on a role of outsized importance. Starting with a bunch of top Gs (of course), Choir 7 Soprano then takes a few bars to prepare before TAKING OVER the final three bars of the entire piece. Given that everyone will be giving it their all here, it's remarkable how clear and important Choir 7 Soprano's work here is. A truly remarkable voice!

Choir 7 Alto

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $212!

Voice Description:
Compared to Choir 7 Soprano, Choir 7 Alto is a less remarkable voice (how could any voice be more remarkable than Choir 7 Soprano??), but Choir 7 Alto is definitely a leaper. Some moments to highlight, however, include: bars 86 and 87 (what's going on here?? Did the first "dimittis" not work to your satisfaction?); bars 89 and 90 (Oh, the glory of this line - tossed around from choir to choir); and bar 95 (this is just a very classy timpani impression, and coming from an alto, we're very impressed). The rest of Choir 7 Alto's journey through Spem is, yes, very leapy, but slightly overshadowed by Choir 7 Soprano's antics. A microcosm of choral life in general? Was Tallis trying to tell us something universal here? Of course he was.

Choir 7 Tenor

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $214!

Voice Description:
Choir 7 Tenor knows how to make an entrance. The first four notes (bars 29 and 30) sort of lay down the gauntlet, don't they? But what's this in bar 38 and 39? Again?? As if the first entry wasn't good enough... This does seem to be a pattern, however (bars 43 and 44). There certainly are quite a few top Gs in this voice - if Tallis was writing for specific people, did he stack Choir 7 with his superstars?? Apart from all of this top G flamboyance, there is an interesting bit of historical detail associated with Choir 7 Tenor. There is an English version of Spem in alium which was produced in the 17th-century, after Tallis had died. In fact, for a long time, the English version was the most authoritative source we had. It had the same notes, but different words (talking about the Jacobean royal family and how great they were). In the manuscript of this English version, after the Choir 7 Tenor voice, appears the following: “This song was first made to a lattin ditty by Mr. Tho: Tallis.” Well, yes, it certainly was wasn't it? This was a clue to the piece's Elizabethan origins and gives Choir 7 Tenor some special significance.

Choir 7 Baritone

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $233!

Voice Description:
If Choirs 1 and 2 have the glory of starting the whole piece, the lower choirs (and the lower voices of those choirs) have the equally important task of beginning the "Qui irasceris" theme after the first tutti section. From here, with the exception of Choir 7 Soprano (it's always "... with the exception of Choir 7 Soprano"!), the theme is of rising from the depths rather than falling from the heights. Choir 7 Baritone takes part in this process dutifully in bar 48 and onward before giving up and just standing back, open mouthed, at Choir 7 Soprano as it runs away into the distance... A unique moment of interest: in bar 74, there is an odd trio between Choir 7 Baritone, Choir 3 Soprano, and Choir 2 Baritone. A half-note rest and then "hominum", right before "The Big Rest" (which can be bought as a Collection, by the way!). What an odd little moment of genius(?) from Tallis, tying these three voices together across such a vast texture. The rest of Choir 7 Baritone's journey through the piece is all pretty standard, until right at the end when it decides that it's had enough of singing anything other than very high notes, and lands on a top D for a very, very long time (bars 135, 136, 137, and 138). Take a deep, deep, deep breath!

Choir 7 Bass

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $227!

Voice Description:
Choir 7 Bass has the unique honour of ALMOST missing the entire first 39 bars of the whole piece! Finally managing to get going at the end of bar 37, Choir 7 Bass only manages one "Praeter in te, Deus" before the "Big 'Praeter in te' entry" (which you can purchase as a Collection!). Nevertheless, unlike some of the other voices in choirs 7 and 8, Choir 8 Bass does actually manage to meaningfully take part in said "big" entry. Better late to the party than not arriving at all. Choir 7 Bass is a voice of few words: bars 46 through 49 see a minimal contribution to the rising "Qui irasceris" theme after which this voice, of course, steps aside for Choir 7 Soprano to do Choir 7 Soprano's thing. Between bar 69 and bar 78, Choir 7 Bass's favourite note is definitely - G. That's good. The piece is in G. Good choice. Another passage quite brilliant in its simplicity appears in bars 92-95. You know what you want to say and you say it without decoration. This is a voice that seems to have something against quarter notes and eighth notes in principle; from bar 122 to the end, when everyone else is bouncing around for their dear lives, Choir 7 Bass gives us seven - SEVEN! - notes shorter than a half note. Other voices give us seven short notes in half a bar...

Choir 8 Soprano

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $189!

Voice Description:
Choir 8 Soprano's first claim to fame must be that this voice waits so long to come in (32 full bars) that it just jumps right into the high stuff (first top G, bar 34, second bar of the piece - no problem). The second claim to faim is perhaps less bold in that this voice, like all of the others in Choir 8 entirely misses the Big "Praeter in te" entry (which you can purchase as a Collection!). Oblivious. Doing their own thing. Perhaps also wrapped up in the joy of "doing its own thing", bars 42 in this voice starts a phrase that's JUST TOP Gs! Why not? Making an excellent contribution to Choir 8's big moment (starting the "Qui irasceris" them - we're ignoring Choir 7 Soprano here because that voice has serious attention-seeking issues), this theme in Choir 8 Soprano soars above the fray and makes sure everyone knows that we've started something new here. Again, while everyone else is getting very worked up after The Big Rest (available to purchase as a Collection!), Choir 8 Soprano serenely floats above the fray, outlining the next theme. During the ensuing "Domine Deus" jostle for position, Choir 8 Soprano joins in dutifully in all of Choir 8's work, including the very final iteration (which you can purchase as a Collection entitled "The Final Say" - can you spot a theme here?) Choir 8 Soprano also contains one of the more interesting melodies during the first "Respice" (in bars 108, 109, and 110) but the crowning triumph must be at the second "Repice" (bars 112 and 123) when Choir 8 Soprano hangs above the texture, motionless, perfect, shimmering. What a moment.

Choir 8 Alto

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $216!

Voice Description:
We've got another leaper! Choir 8 Alto is an industrious voice, that's for sure. Lots of jumping around, syncopation, a massive range traversed in no time at all, etc. (Bars 74 and 75 is but one example of this.) With its Choir colleagues, Choir 8 Alto takes part in the final iteration of the "Domine Deus" theme before it is immediately erased by the "Creator caeli" theme... (this can be purchased as a Collection entitled "The Final Say"). And duetting with Choir 8 Soprano, Choir 8 Alto takes a special interest in the first "Respice", refusing to be boring and just be part of the chords. Good on you, Choir 8 Alto! Choir 8 Alto's glory moment comes at the very end of the piece, however. Evidently, this voice has had a really great time and doesn't want the party to stop! Bar 137 is full of lots of notes and Choir 8 Alto is part of a very unique group of voices entitled "Last-minute attention-seekers", the the voices that contain a quarter note at the very end of bar 137. (These three can be purchased as a Collection under this name.) Waiting until the very end to make its mark - that's playing the long game.

Choir 8 Tenor

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $216!

Voice Description:
Choir 8 Tenor is the SECOND last voice to enter! What a dubious honour. On top of that, this voice entirely ignores the massive pile on of the Big "Praeter in te" Entry in bar 40, instead just singing long and loud. This voice likes its top Gs, providing the first one in the "Qui irasceris" theme in bar 46. Making up for its "failure" at the start, Choir 8 Tenor IS the last voice to enter at the tutti "Et omnia" section, in bar 70. Well done. Second time's the charm. Choir 8 Tenor then sort of slots into a useful but unremarkable journey through the "Domine Deus" and "Creator caeli" tussle before making his way to the final run-in to the end. But what an ending! Just as the end of the piece approaches, somehow Choir 8 Tenor finds another gear and its old top-G-loving ways come rushing back. What a flourish with which to finish (bars 136-138)!

Choir 8 Baritone

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $249!

Voice Description:
After a relatively normal start (well, actually 32 bars of silence to "start", but once that was counted out), Choir 8 Baritone starts gingerly testing the waters with some leaping here and there before pretty much running out of steam entirely in bars 43 and 44. Quick! Get ready for the "Qui irasceris" entry! This is your big moment! (Phew. Got through it.) In an extremely forgetful moment, Choir 8 Baritone appears to lose track of what word it's singing for an entire three quarter note beats (bar 86) before making up for that with some quick eighth-note work (bar 87). There's a good timpani-impression moment in bars 89 and 90 as well. Choir 8 Baritone liked what it did in bar 99 so much that it decides to do it again in bars 108, 109, and 110 - different words, and seemingly unaware of the incredibly important moment in the piece that is (which you can purchase as a Collection entitled "HEY LOOK AT US!"). Choir 8 Baritone's final section is equally gently leapy here and there; a good contribution, and manages to avoid any accusations of attention-seeking behaviour...

Choir 8 Bass

Discount: Assuming $5 for a bar with music in it and $2 for an empty bar, this price represents a discount of $185!

Voice Description:
Don’t worry, Choir 8 Bass, the printer won’t cut off your words, we promise! Choir 8 Bass is sort of the dad of all the other voices. It is the last to enter (in bar 38, two bars before the Big "Praeter in te" Entry - which it complete ignores...) and then proceeds through the piece singing long, harmonically important, "stability" notes. There's some melodic work: Bar 45 is its glory moment in this regard, as it starts the "Qui irasceris" theme. (We'll ignore Choir 7 Soprano, as that voice will demand all of our attention very soon...) and you can purchase this great Choir 8 Bass moment as a Collection entitled "First to emerge from the melée". The real job of Choir 8 Bass becomes clear in bars 69 to 78. This is what this voice was born to do. Lay down that bass line. Likewise, we have full-on timpani-mode in bars 92-95. More evidence: this voice's contribution to both "Respice" moments could not be more "Choir 8 Bass"-like. Providing, as it does, the harmonic bedrock for the whole piece, the move from bottom F to B-flat half way through bar 127 is actually an enormously important moment. (Whoever sings this voice is likely to get a look from the conductor at this moment...) One little leap about in the happens in bar 132 before going back to business for the rest of the piece. While Choir 3 Bass is actually the first voice to land on a bottom G and stay there (you can purchase this moment as a Collection called "See 'ya at G"), Choir 8 Bass is - you guessed it - the first voice to actually finish its text. Last in, first out!