A collection of essays by 20th-century American, English, and European composers in which each composer discusses a large choral work or works he has written, along with the principles that guided the composition.

This comprehensive handbook details the fundamentals and forms of choral composition and expands upon the coverage and number of topics in Archibald T. Davison's 1945 classic text "Choral Composition." Historical trends in choral composition are traced with a special emphasis on the profusion of changes that occurred throughout the twentieth century, particularly since 1950. Early chapters focus on characteristics of voice, notation, text, devices, part writing, "a cappella" and instrumental accompaniments, and choral forms. Hines goes on to analyze the utilization of soloists and choruses...