A study of David Conte's secular SATB choral works with non-orchestral score complement

Abstract

The choral works of David Conte are becoming an ever-increasing part of the American choral repertoire. These works have been performed on numerous choral convention programs and college choral concerts, and by professional choral organizations throughout the United States. Conte's choral compositions have been commercially recorded by several of the world's premier vocal ensembles such as Chanticleer, the American Repertory Singers, Elects Women's Ensemble, and the St. Olaf College Choir. In addition Conte's works are being commissioned by a wide array of groups from top-level high schools and universities to nationally-recognized choral ensembles. To date the only doctoral study that has focused on the music of David Conte is that of Sabrina Lynn Adrian at the University of Texas. Her dissertation focused on his compositions for organ as part of a study of twentieth-century American organ compositions. My study will focus upon one aspect of Conte's choral output: his secular SATB choral works with non-orchestral complement. Special focus will be on the manner in which Conte sets and portrays the text in his works, since it is the text that he cites as being the inspiration for each composition. The pieces will be examined for the harmonic language and various compositional techniques employed to convey the meaning of individual words and the overall emotional progression that the text creates. Based on the information attained through this examination and through surveys sent out to various choral directors, the works will be evaluated as to their level of difficulty and to any inherent problems that would need to be addressed in the rehearsal process.