Rehearsal Tracks
This page lists a number of rehearsal tracks for music that the Aeolian Singers will be singing in upcoming concerts.
The various rehearsal sites for each work are listed in alphabetical order, followed by a few good YouTube videos: on some you may be able to follow the score.
On some sites the supporting notes are so extensive they would take up far too much space if repeated for each work, in those cases there is a link to a separate webpage where the notes are given in full, Rehearsal Websites – Notes. That page also gives information about how to block irritating adverts on YouTube.
Messiah, HWV 56 – G F Handel
The majority of the sites offer rehearsal tracks in MIDI file format, most are free. The rehearsal sites are listed in alphabetical order and these are followed by some excellent YouTube video recordings by well-known singers. Some videos allow you to follow the score rather than watch the performers.
Please note that it has not been possible to check the accuracy of any of the rehearsal tracks. If you come across any errors or other rehearsal tracks, please let me know so that this document can be updated. Thank you, Ian Williamson.
On some sites the supporting notes are so extensive they would take up far too much space: in those cases there is a link to a separate webpage where the notes are given in full, Rehearsal Sites – Notes. That page also gives information about how to block irritating adverts on YouTube.
Choral Music Tutor
https://choralmusictutor.com
Choral Music Tutor does not provide rehearsal tracks: it is a web app that plays MIDI files, which is designed to help singers learn their parts. It works on smartphones, tablets, Windows, Macs, etc. There’s no need to download or install anything, it works in your browser and it’s free.
Click on the File tab at the top of the page, and then Drag and Drop a MIDI file onto the page, or Open a MIDI file from the internet or from your device, etc. The Play window will open and you can Emphasise your voice part. The Play tab has controls to change the volumes/tempo/etc. of the playback. Some controls affect the whole piece, others affect individual parts. Click the Help tab for help and information.
Choralia Net
https://www.choralia.net/hn04mp3/hn04mp3en.htm
Choralia offer files for two editions of Messiah. The above link is for The Edition 2, which also includes all the choral parts, but checked against “The New Novello Choral Edition” (Nov 07 0137).
hmp3 files are available for each voice part listed in order from Soprano to Bass, and then in movement order for each voice. mp3 files are available in three versions: Voice with metronome, Emphasised voice and other voices, All voices.
ChoraLine
https://www.choraline.com/store/choraline-rehearsal-cds-and-mp3-files/handel-messiah1
Select
ALTO, BASS, SOPRANO or TENOR then
CD – Buy from Presto Music (£13.99)
EasyPlay (Stream/DownLoad) – Total Price = £9.99
ChoralTech MIDI/MP3 Library
ChoralTech have created a special page of MIDI/MP3 files for the use of choirs around the world who will be performing Handel’s Messiah this season.
https://www.choraltech.us/playit/messiah.htm
Scroll down the page to the movement you wish to practice. Click on your voice part (or all for all voices) to download & save MIDI file.
Warning: Downloading the “VanBasco Karaoke” shareware, will trigger Website blocked due to riskware warning from Malwarebytes Browser Guard.
Chord Perfect
Voice emphasised – all other voices and orchestra diminished. Select the movement you want to rehearse, Chord Perfect calls each movement a Part. You can start play, Pause, go back to start, back 5 secs, play slow or reset speed. If you leave a movement playing it will move onto the next movement.
Sop https://www.chordperfect.com/handels-messiah-soprano-chorus-rehearsal-aid/
Alto https://www.chordperfect.com/handels-messiah-alto-chorus-rehearsal-aid/
Tenor https://www.chordperfect.com/handels-messiah-tenor-chorus-rehearsal-aid/
Bass https://www.chordperfect.com/handels-messiah-bass-chorus-rehearsal-aid/
Classical Archives
https://www.classicalarchives.com/midi/composer/2669.html?navID=3
Below Oratorios and Odes (including ‘Messiah’) 231 midis you will seeMessiah, HWV56 (standard version) 168 midis
A selection of numbers << first < prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 next > last >>
takes you to one of many contributors, and one or more movements of the Messiah that they have contributed. All synthesizer sequences in MIDI format are available to play or download by logged-in members, but every chorus is for all voice parts. No. 17 is only contributor to give the complete work. This is a costly US based subscription site with a 14-Day FREE Trial.
CyberBass
https://cyberbass.org/Major_Works/Handel_GF/Handel__Messiah.htm
CyberBass offers free MIDI files for each chorus, by Tutti or your voice part, arranged in the three Parts of the work. Between Part I and Part II are a set of Playback Controls to Rewind, Pause, Play and adjust the speed of playing.
JohnF’s Rehearsal Files
https://johnfletchermusic.org/handelgf-messiah
There are rehearsal tracks for each voice part which you can listen to online, Copy to Dropbox, or Download. Click on Click here for the sound files: you will then be taken to the linked DropBox site. Note: you don’t need a Dropbox account, but it helps.
Click on Scroll down the page to the chorus you want to rehearse and click on the folder for the chorus, then select the mp3 file for your voice part, organised in alphabetical order. There is a link to a MIDI file which you have to download, but that is for all voices. For each movement you can also Copy to Dropbox or Download (a zip file of all the files).
John’s Midi File Choral Music site
Part 1 http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/Handel/Messiah/messiah.html
Part 2 http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/Handel/Messiah/messiah2.html
Part 3 http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/Handel/Messiah/messiah3.html
Only the chorus movements have the active link to download and save the MIDI file; the symbol looks like a sheet of paper with a few notes on it. Click on your voice part. All movements are also available in UNemphasised form, but you won’t hear your voice part above the rest.
Warning: these Files were prepared from a Vocal Score similar to the main settings of the Peters Vocal Score, which has a slightly different Section Numbering scheme from the various Novello Scores, and wherein the phrasing in some sections – specifically No. 20: Behold the Lamb of God – may not entirely match the various possibilities of the Novello version.
Robin’s MIDI File Store
https://www.singingpractice.co.uk/music/wholeworks/messiah/base.html
Go down the table to particular movement and click on the active link for your voice part to download and save the MIDI file.
Note on Quality – These files have been acquired from the internet, with the balance and instrument sounds adjusted in my preferred manner. However in some cases the notes are foreshortened which gives a “choppy” or staccato effect. This should not be taken as a true representation of note lengths in performance, but it frequently makes the music easier to follow when “note-bashing”. In any case many thanks to John of www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk.
The Silvis Woodshed
http://gasilvis.net/mids/hanmes2.zip Messiah with partial accomp D Drew
http://gasilvis.net/mids/hanmes1.zip Messiah with accomp M Petri
http://gasilvis.net/mids/handms.zip Messiah B McGee
Download and save the MIDI file of all parts together (not much use for practising).
St Mary’s Singers choir
https://www.stmaryssingers.com/handel-messiah.html
The majority of choruses are available to hear in MP3 format, however some are midi files. Each chorus is available for the individual voice part and also SATB. Click on the name of the part (blue) to play the MP3 in your browser. Right-click on the part name to get a popup menu allowing you to download the MP3 file to your computer.
Click on the YouTube icon adjacent to the name of the voice part to view/hear the track and view the score.
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiBHbadRVBU
Academy of Ancient Music & Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFjQ77ol2DI
Voces8 and Academy of Ancient Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_mZ6GYh2ls
[1752 version] Stephen Cleobury & The Brandenburg Consort
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmvaRBH6Qy4&list=OLAK5uy_mr3WWGo58dxLlwzpRXqthtNTzV19lfPtU
Sir Thomas Beecham, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Originally Recorded 1959).
Once you start playing each movement will follow in sequence, or you can select one of the movements listed on the right hand side of the page – scroll down to see them all.
Follow the score – pannonia77
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2k8ekJXk4nXLCbHx5AteWsek1q3k0BfH
All the voice parts together.
Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner.
Either click on Play all (each movement in sequence) or select one of the movements listed on the right hand side of the page – scroll down to see them all.
Follow the score – Chord Perfect
Solo singer emphasised. Performers not known.
For each of the voice parts with an active link below, either click on Play all (each movement in sequence) or select one of the movements listed on the right hand side of the page – scroll down to see them all.
Note: Chord Perfect calls each movement a Part.
Sop: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa3ZBVWX19VMO7H_PPCq_jD0TTa-jkWBP
Alto: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa3ZBVWX19VN-W9401lwPSruikVPrsKSx
Tenor: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa3ZBVWX19VO1HvejJUbAbUyCDVtuV833
Bass: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa3ZBVWX19VMe9zDT-tmhF2UbutBio_ax
Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks, Psalm 42 – Herbert Howells
Classical Archives
https://www.classicalarchives.com
This is a costly US based subscription site with a 14-Day FREE Trial: you will see the following message:
“You are listening to 1 minute clips – subscribe for unlimited play! Start My Free 14-Day Trial or Login“
Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks (Psalm 42), anthem for chorus [7 performances, 7 tracks]
https://www.classicalarchives.com/newca/#!/Work/203119
JohnF’s Rehearsal Files
https://johnfletchermusic.org
https://johnfletchermusic.org/howellsh-like-as-the-hart/?_rt=MjB8MXxob3dlbGxzfDE3MzgwODM2ODU&_rt_nonce=7493152a00
This work is in Copyright, so unless you have a paid-for account you will see the following message:
“You need to be logged in to see this page and, for In-Copyright files, you need an active, paid-for membership.”
John’s Midi File Choral Music site
http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/complist.html#Howells
http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/Howells/Like-as-the-hart/like-hart.html
Because of Copyright problems the Midi files shown are no longer publicly available.
Robin’s MIDI File Store
https://www.singingpractice.co.uk
There are Midi files for each voice part
https://www.singingpractice.co.uk/music/Cantemus/jan18.html
Scroll down the page to Like as the Hart Desireth the Waterbrooks (ECM 18), then click on your voice part.
YouTube
Choir Parts
Follow the Score Rehearsal Part for “Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks”
Sop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyf_dcZ5lVU
Alto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9hy8f_rMK8
Tenor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzxdIHcg7_o
Bass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIUX09r-BD0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwV_LLTn9HY
John Rutter, Cambridge Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaUe6yLTgss
The Choir of St John’s College Cambridge
St Mary’s Singers Training Tracks
Sop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igZh7iQmhgs
Alto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OG0y5H0AqU
Tenor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enJAIOh73eo
Bass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbUxxE-K5o8
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, Collegium Regale – Herbert Howells
Classical Archives
https://www.classicalarchives.com
This is a costly US based subscription site with a 14-Day FREE Trial: you will see the following message:
“You are listening to 1 minute clips – subscribe for unlimited play! Start My Free 14-Day Trial or Login“Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (St Paul’s Cathedral) [4 performances, 7 tracks]
https://www.classicalarchives.com/newca/#!/Work/282895
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G [1 performance, 1 track]
https://www.classicalarchives.com/newca/#!/Work/335889
JohnF’s Rehearsal Files
https://johnfletchermusic.org
There are several different versions of Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis listed by this site, eg
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (HowellsH) Collegium Regale
Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (Collegium Regale) SSAATBB+organ Music: HERBERT HOWELLS Novello, 1975
so it has not been possible to check whether the following link is correct.
https://johnfletchermusic.org/howellsh-magnificat-and-nunc-dimittis-collegium-regale/?_rt=MjN8MXxob3dlbGxzfDE3MzgwODM2ODU&_rt_nonce=5adb752f8c
This work is in Copyright, so unless you have a paid-for account you will see the following message:
You need to be logged in to see this page and, for In-Copyright files, you need an active, paid-for membership.
John’s Midi File Choral Music site
http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/complist.html#Howells
http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/Howells/Magnificat%20&%20NuncDim%20-%20Bminor/magnificat&nundim.html
There is a “clickable” Table of the available Midi Files for the Magnificat and Nunc dimitis. The Voices are not divided.
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryoif51AMZ0
This is an excellent performance by the choir of Winchester Cathedral, directed by David Hill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ozfTPgXlS0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JZZh8NJKsg
Herbert Howells – Nunc dimittis (Collegium Regale) (score video) Sung by the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge under the direction of Andrew Nethsingha.