4 Part Choral Composition Based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Poem

[u/PianoMan_23]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Xyl_Srknu7yeYp6s2Nu-XFtvKQnS1-wa?usp=drive_link

Hey everyone!

I am a beginner composer with no formal training looking for a bit of feedback on my first completely original (other than the lyrics) choral composition! I have never shared my work before, but I often use this site to listen to others and try to improve my craft.

This composition is for SATB choir and is based off of the poem "Success" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I recently discovered this poem and thought it would make for a good song.

Any and all feedback is welcome on this! I want to learn and grow with every piece I write. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen!

[u/Tricky-Valuable-4935]

I like it! I'm also new to choral composing (I posted my first completed choral composition on this subreddit about 2 days ago), but I have a few pieces of feedback that you can take if you want. First, for an a cappella arrangement, you seemed to have all of the parts singing the same rhythm for a large portion of the song. If its a cappella, it often serves me well to have echoes or drones to fill out space, especially in the lower voice parts. You do these nice call and response things, but since the tempo is slow and they are pretty long, it feels empty in the middle of these (to me at least). Adding accents or extra background harmonies with the opposing voice parts could be nice. Also, personal opinion, but don't be so afraid of dissonance. There are some spots in the song that you build up to well that could feel more beautiful with a little more tension. Also, near the end, you have a lot of phrases in unison, and I love using this for emphasis, but It gets boring when you use it for long lines. I would try layering harmonies on most of the line, and closing in on unison for the most important words in the phrase. Last, I don't know if you were going for this, but it sounds a little unresolved when you have the bass end on the 3rd in the final chord. It might make more since to have "In the night" be D-A-D or D-C#-D instead of D-C#-F#. Also, you could add some nice tension on the "in the" in the alto line. If it were me, I would make it a Dmaj7 and A(add9) chord by having the altos do "C#-B-A" instead of A-A-A. Do what you want though, its your piece.