Oxford University Press

Choral Repertoire – Second Edition (Oxford University Press)

This second edition adds fifty-eight new composers, with emphasis on previously under-represented women and composers of color, plus an entirely new category of Classical-era composers from Spain, Portugal, and Brazil. In addition, there us updated biographical information, more complete compositional annotations, expanded country headlines for more inclusive representation, and revised scholarly material.

“Choral Repertoire is the essential source for both quick reference and extended study of choral music. This text should be in the library of every choral conductor and aspiring student. Dennis Shrock is the quintessential choral scholar of our day.”

— Dr. Donald Trott, Director of Choral Activities, University of Mississippi

“Any choral musician who thinks they don’t need another book hasn’t seen this new edition of Dennis Shrock’s comprehensive tome covering not only 588 different important choral composers of note, but 58 additions including more women composers and composers of color. Organized by period, by country, and by composer, this invaluable resource is a must for every choral conductor, whether student or master! Dennis has done it again—researched the field and given us the most up-to-date information on the western choral canon!”

— Dr. Charlene Archibeque, Professor Emerita, San Jose State University

“Dennis Shrock’s new edition of Choral Repertoire incorporates a wealth of meticulously researched composers in response to the expansion of the art form. This overview—as explained in his preface—is focused on western choral composers and their music. As was the case with Shrock's 1st edition, this comprehensive text is chronologically structured, geographically contextualized, and is a must-have for international choral music scholars, educators, and conductors.”

— Dr. Gregory Gentry, director of choral studies and Lynn Whitten Choral Music Faculty Fellow, University of Colorado Boulder

Choral Scores (Oxford University Press 2015)

Choral Scores is an anthology of music exemplifying distinctive choral repertoire by the most noteworthy composers throughout the history of Western music. Designed as a companion to Choral Repertoire, the anthology of scores presents selected works of salient importance to the development of choral music. Included are 129 compositions by 123 different composers, each composition presented unabridged (a complete work or a complete movement of a larger work) and in full score. In addition, the scores represent the most up-to-date scholarly research, including musica ficta and text underlay in the Renaissance era, meter signatures and articulation markings in the Baroque and Classical eras, and conductor annotations in the Romantic and Modern eras (e.g., previously unpublished markings by Johannes Brahms and Franck Martin). The anthology also includes an appendix with descriptions of the music and literal translations of foreign language works, as well as composer and genre indices. Choral Scores is an essential reference for choral scholars, teachers, and students alike. 

“The Choral Scores anthology is a must as a companion to Dennis Shrock’s Choral Repertoire. Professor Shrock’s involvement in conducting, teaching choral literature, and as a researcher are legendary, and his interest in quality choral editions is a hallmark of his entire work as a conductor and scholar.”

— Jo-Michael Scheibe, Chair and Professor of Choral and Sacred Music, The University of Southern California

“A valuable resource and rich testament to the Western choral tradition. Conductors, choral scholars, instructors, and students alike will find this scholarly book informative and rewarding.” 

— The American Organist

Choral Repertoire (Oxford University Press 2009)

Choral Repertoire is the definitive and comprehensive presentation of Western choral music. Designed for practicing conductors, students and teachers of choral music, amateur and professional choral singers, and interested choral enthusiasts, the book is an account of the complete choral output of the most significant composers of the choral genre throughout history. Organized by era (Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, and Modern), Choral Repertoire covers general characteristics of each historical era, trends and styles unique to various countries, biographical sketches of over 500 composers, and performance annotations of more than 5,000 individual works. This book is an essential guide to programming, a reference tool for program notes and other research, and, most importantly, a key resource for conductors, instructors, scholars, and students of choral music.

“Dennis Shrock is indisputably one of the very top choral scholars in the United States. Add to this his expertise as a choral director and you have a superbly qualified author. Every choral director should have this compact, scholarly, practical historical survey of our field. It reads superbly, yet with ease. What a treasure!”

— Weston Noble, Professor Emeritus, Luther College 

“This is the most complete volume on choral music ever written. This is for all choral enthusiasts. Whether professional, singers, conductors, academicians, students both graduate and undergraduate, church musicians – whatever your interest – this is a book for you. It is fascinating reading, whether you are researching a specific composer or seeking ideas for programming. Details abound!”

— Vance George, Conductor Emeritus, San Francisco Symphony Chorus

“Choral Repertoire is an invaluable resource book for the choral conductor, conducting student, and choral singer. It should be a part of the curriculum of any music education or conductor degree program. It rightfully deserves a place among the standard music reference publications. Dennis Shrock has provided us with a must-have!”

— Joseph Jennings, Former Music Director, Chanticleer

“The definitive and comprehensive one-volume presentation of the canon of the Western choral tradition has much to live up to, but I believe the author has achieved his aims admirably. The choral works of around 500 composers are divided into six eras, each era is divided into national schools of composers, and within these the composers are ordered by date of birth. Each composer entry includes a mini biography, overview of choral oeuvre, and more detailed discussion of important works. It is the listing at the end of each composer entry that makes this book so useful to choir directors. For each choral work, the voicing (including listing of solos) and duration of the piece is given. I can certainly recommend this book.”

— John Henderson, reviewer of RSCM Church Music Quarterly

Choral Monuments (Oxford University Press 2017)

Choral Monuments provides extensive and in-depth information about eleven epoch-making choral masterworks that span the history of Western culture from the Renaissance to the Modern era. Included are: Missa Pange lingua by Josquin Desprez, Missa Papae Marcelli by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, the B Minor Mass by Johann Sebastian Bach, Messiah by George Frideric Handel, The Creation by Joseph Haydn, the Symphony #9 by Ludwig van Beethoven, St. Paul by Felix Mendelssohn, Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms, Messa da Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi, Mass by Igor Stravinsky, and the War Requiem by Benjamin Britten. The works are presented in separate chapters, with each chapter divided into three basic sections – history, analysis, and performance practice. Discussions of history include biographical information about composers related to the work at hand, historical perspectives, and text sources. Analyses are focused on formal and musical structures, salient compositional techniques, and elements of music particular to the work being discussed, including parody and motivic organization. The discussion of performance practices includes primary source quotations about a wide range of topics, from performing forces, tempo, and phrasing of each work to specific issues such as tactus, text underlay, musica ficta, metric accentuation, rhythmic alteration, recitative, fermatas, and ornamentation. Musical examples and primary source quotes illuminate the material, and of particular interest are stage diagrams of original performances.

“Shrock manages to achieve a balance that is both scholarly and inspiring; the book is deep yet easy to read, adequately informative yet provides paths for further research. . . . Additionally, the organization, terse writing, and depth of approach are excellent examples of both musical and scholarly preparation for graduate students. This volume should be required reading for every student of choral music and aspiring or veteran conductor of choral masterworks. Shrock’s Choral Monuments is recommended for all music libraries and libraries with music collections.“

— Brian Cockburn, from the Journal of the Music Library Association, Volume 75, number 2, December 2018

“Reading this book, one gets the impression of Shrock as an excited professor, eager to share as many interesting facets of the topic at hand as he is able. . . . [He] provides a wealth of information useful to conductors, teachers, students, and even just connoisseurs of choral music. His writing style, unencumbered with theoretical jargon, should prove accessible to many. . . . For students, it provides a model for writing about repertoire in a way that is not simply a blow-by-blow account of musical events; rather, Shrock draws an effective picture of the whole. [At the end of the book’s introduction,] he expresses hope that his readers gain “greater comprehension and appreciation of these works that will result in enhanced personal fulfillment and more meaningful performances.” This book constitutes a valuable resource in that effort.“

— Kerry Glann, from The Choral Scholar, Volume 7, number 1, Spring 2018

“In this book, eminent choral conductor and scholar Dennis Shrock provides in-depth studies of eleven choral works dating from the Renaissance to the Twentieth Century. The eleven works Shrock examines have long enjoyed a reputation as masterpieces of not only the choral repertoire, but also Western classical music in general, and these essays present instructive scholarly perspective on the reasons this is so. Shrock’s deep familiarity with the repertoire and the place of each piece in music history greatly enriches his endeavor. A required resource for those interested in classical choral music.”

— Donna Arnold, Music Reference Librarian, University of North Texas

“Choral Monumentsis a testament to the meaningful relationship between music scholarship and performance. This book provides a deeply pedagogic look into the genesis and historical context of eleven epoch-defining masterworks while offering insight into practical contemporary performance practices. Shrock’s writing is scholarly and thorough, yet approachable, clear, and concise. Of note, the inclusion of historical and contemporary stage diagrams, based on primary source material, inspire the reader to consider accessible performance-enhancing techniques. Choral Monuments imparts new and engaging insights to inform decisions on the podium and enhances our relationship to these great masterworks. It is an essential text for students and professionals alike.”

— Ryan Chatterton, conductor and music educator