What is a choir in the modern sense. The definition of the concept of "chorus

Depending on the gender and age of the singers, choirs can be classified as follows:

· mixed choir(the most common type of choir) - consists of female and male voices. The female voices make up the soprano and alto parts, the male voices make up the tenor and bass parts. Within each part, there is usually a division into first (higher) and second (lower) voices: sopranos I and II, altos I and II, tenors I and II, basses I and II;

· boys and youths choir- consists of the same four main parties as the mixed one, but the soprano part is performed by boys - trebles, the part of altos - countertenor - by young men singing in falsetto; the parts of tenors and basses in such a choir, as well as in a mixed one, are performed by men;

· male choir- consists of tenors and basses, with the division of each part into two voices: first (high) and second (low) tenors and first and second basses. The part of the first tenors can be expanded with countertenor singers singing (in falsetto) an even higher part, tessitura outside the usual male vocal range;

· female choir- consists of sopranos and altos, with the division of each part into two voices: first and second sopranos and first and second altos;

· children's choir- consists of two parts: soprano (treble) and altos, sometimes from three - sopranos (trebles) I and II, and altos; other options are also possible.

From the point of view of the manner of singing, there are:

· academic choirs-- singing in an academic manner based on the standard of the European academic (opera-concert) singing tone;

· folk choirs- singing in the folk style.

By the number of participants there are:

· chamber choirs-- from 12 to 30-50 participants;

· large choirs-- from 50 to 120 participants;

· combined choirs- up to 1000 participants, gather for a while from different teams. Such compositions have the status of "happing performance" and do not belong to the performing arts proper, as they are more of a propaganda and educational direction.

Choirs may have different status.

· professional choirs. They can be both independent and supported by the state. Consist of professional singers. Conduct regular concert activities.

· amateur choirs unite people for whom singing in the choir is a hobby. They can exist at palaces of culture, clubs, municipalities, at organizations and institutions, at non-musical educational institutions (a very common form), etc.: student choir, staff choir, veteran choir.

· Church choirs. Their main activity is participation in church services. Church choirs of a high musical level may also conduct concert activities. Both professionals and amateurs sing in church choirs. The artistic director of the church choir - the regent - must be not only a choirmaster, but also an expert in church services.

· Training choirs exist in musical educational institutions (music and pedagogical schools, colleges, conservatories, music academies, institutes of art and culture, etc.) that train professional personnel in the field of choral art and musical education

Main questions.

I.1) Definition of the choir by prominent masters of choral art.

2) Directions in choral performance.

3) Type of choir.

4) The number of choirs.

II. Chorus types.

III. Arrangement of the choir.

Target: Determine the significance of the arrangement of the choir for the most favorable sound of the choral work, in connection with the type and type of choir.

Definition of a choir by eminent masters of the choral art

A. A. Egorov (“Theory and practice of working with the choir”): “A choir is a more or less numerous group of singers performing a vocal-choral work. Moreover, each part is sung by several homogeneous voices. In this, the choral group, as a vocal organization, differs significantly from the chamber vocal ensemble (duet, trio, quartet, etc.), in which each individual part is always entrusted to only one performer. The most typical, pure type of choir group is the a cappella choir, i.e. the group singing without instrumental accompaniment. Another type of choir group - a choir group accompanied by a piano, an ensemble of instruments or an orchestra - is no longer completely independent: it shares its performing tasks with instrumental accompaniment.

The a cappella choir is a kind of vocal orchestra, which, based on the synthesis of sound and words, conveys the artistic images of a musical work with its rich colors.

V. G. Sokolov (“Working with the choir”): “A choir is a team that is sufficiently familiar with the technical and artistic and expressive means of choral performance necessary to convey the thoughts, feelings, and ideological content that are embedded in the work.”

P. G. Chesnokov (“Choir and its management”): “The a cappella choir is a full-fledged union of a significant number of human voices, capable of conveying the subtlest bends of spiritual movements, thoughts and feelings expressed in a performed composition. A choir is such a collection of singers, in the sonority of which there is a strictly balanced ensemble, a precisely adjusted system and artistic, distinctly worked out nuances.

Note that Chesnokov refers nuances to the elements of choral sonority, interpreting this concept more broadly than a movable dynamic scale. Nuances, according to Chesnokov, cover the means of musical and choral expressiveness - features of rhythm, tempo, agogics, diction, etc., in connection with their dynamic changes.

Chorus is an extremely capacious concept. It is usually regarded as a musical and singing group whose activity is the creative process of choral music-making (or choral performance). In this context, the choir is a vocal and performing group united and organized by creative goals and objectives. The principle of the collective beginning is obligatory for all participants of the choir and must be maintained at any stage of the work of the choir. A choir is a large vocal ensemble in terms of the number of participants, consisting of choral parts. The basic basis of each choral part is the unison, which implies the complete fusion of all vocal and choral components of the performance - sound formation, intonation, timbre, dynamics, rhythm, diction, in other words, the choir is an ensemble of vocal unisons. Choral performance is expressed in two forms of music making - singing without accompaniment (a cappella) and singing with accompaniment. Depending on the method of intonation - in natural or tempered tuning - the role of intonation increases. Accurate intonation (system) and balanced sound (ensemble) in the choir are the main conditions for his professionalism. A well-coordinated choir is always perceived as a vocal orchestra consisting of human voices, and therefore requires the constant and systematic attention of the choirmaster from the moment the choir sings to the concert performance on the stage. The structure in the choir depends on the skill and training of the singers participating in it, as well as on the personal and professional qualities of the conductor-choirmaster, his will, knowledge, and experience. The system in the choir is always associated with the performance of many different interrelated tasks - from the organization of the singing and choral process and the education (training) of singers to the embedding of the actual choral sonority with the identification of ensemble and system problems. At the same time, important tasks in the process of building a choir - the creation of an ensemble of vocal unisons, the high-altitude uniformity of the performed sounds, their timbre unity - are solved under the condition of properly organized vocal and choral work with singers. In choral performance, various types of arts are organically combined - music and literature (poetics). The synthesis of these two types of art introduces specific features into choral creativity. A logical and meaningful combination of music and words defines the concept of the vocal-choral genre. A good choir is always distinguished by technical and artistic and expressive performance, where, along with the problems of the ensemble and the system, the tasks of musical and literary interpretation are solved.

None of the properties listed above can exist in isolation. All components are interconnected and are in constant agreement.

Initially, choral performance was amateur and only due to special historical conditions acquired the status of professional art. From here come two main forms of choral activity - professional and amateur, hence their own names - professional choir and amateur choir (folk, amateur). The first is a choir consisting of specially trained singers, the second is a choir in which everyone who wants to sing takes part. Classes in amateur choirs are not as regulated as in professional ones.

There are two main directions in choral performance - academic and folk, which are characterized by qualitative differences in the manner of performance.

The academic choir (or chapel) relies in its activities on the principles and criteria of musical creativity and performance, developed by professional musical culture and the traditions of the centuries-old experience of the opera and chamber genre. Academic choirs have a single condition for vocal work - the academic manner of singing. In considering the problems of vocal-choral singing, we will start from the concept of the academic manner of singing.

A folk choir is a vocal group that performs folk songs with their inherent features (choral texture, voice leading, vocal manner, phonetics). Folk choirs, as a rule, build their work on the basis of local or regional singing traditions. This determines the variety of compositions and the manner of performance of folk choirs. It is necessary to distinguish a folk choir in its natural, everyday form from a specially organized, folk choir, professional or amateur, performing both genuine folk songs and author's compositions in the folk spirit.

Choral works can be characterized by the number of independent choral parts in them, which is determined by the concept of the type of choir. There are works for the choir of various compositions - one-voice, two-voice, three-, four- and more. The principles of using divisi (separation) in choral parts are related to the pitch ratios of singing voices, as well as their harmonic and timbre-color combinations. It is known that divisi harmonically saturates the choral presentation, but at the same time noticeably weakens the power of the sound of choral voices.

The main and minimal structural unit of the choir is the choral part, which is a coordinated ensemble of singers whose voices in their general parameters are relatively the same in range and timbre. It is with the choral part (a group of singers) that the construction of choral sonority begins in many aspects: the choral part is the initial object of the conductor’s work in establishing the ensemble and the system, in the artistic decoration of the work. In this regard, the problem of the smallest number of singers (voices) in the choral part - 3-4 singers, as well as their timbre and dynamic balance, is revealed.

Theoretically, according to the definition of P. G. Chesnokov, a homogeneous two-voice children's, women's or men's choir can be at least 6 singers, for example, 3 sopranos (treble) + 3 altos, 3 tenors + 3 basses. However, in modern performing practice, a choir of a similar size is called a vocal ensemble. The double composition of the choir is considered more sonorous, where each part has two minimum compositions: 6 first sopranos + 6 second sopranos + 6 first altos + 6 second altos, in total 24 singers are obtained. Here it is also possible to divide (divisi) each party into two groups.

The number of singers in the parts of the choir must be the same. It is unacceptable that a female or children's group of singers of 30 people consists, for example, of 11 first sopranos, 9 second sopranos, 6 first altos and 4 second altos. It is recommended to slightly increase the number of singers in the parts of the first sopranos and second altos in the women's (children's) four-part choir, which is associated both with the dynamic selection of the choral part that performs the upper melodic voice (C I), and with a more compact sound of the chord base (A II) , For example:

soprano first - 8 people;

soprano second - 7 people;

first violas - 7 people;

violas second - 8 people.

Total: 30 people

The sound density of the unison parts of the chamber choir, the number of which does not exceed 10 singers, is incommensurable with the sound of the choral parts of a large choir, where the number of singers in the choral parts is 20-25 singers.

In the theory of choral studies, it is customary to classify the quantitative composition of choirs into three main types - small (chamber), medium and large choirs. In modern performing practice, a chamber choir with an approximate number of singers is 20-30 people. The average mixed choir, numbering up to 40 people, involves the division of each choral part into two. The number of a large mixed choir usually ranges from 80-120 people (occasionally more).

Under favorable conditions, mass and combined choirs of several hundred and even thousands of people can be created. In the choral literature there are examples of multi-choir compositions, in general, numbering over a dozen and a half independent choral parts.

The existing concept of a double choir means a choir divided into two honors, each of which is relatively independent; both parts of the double choir can be both mixed (full and incomplete) and homogeneous composition. The triple choir accordingly consists of three parts.

There is a special choral literature for any performing composition of choirs, which, of course, takes into account the timbre-catalistic features and the size of the choir composition. Thus, works written for a chamber choir, and therefore oriented to a small group, will sound thick and heavy in a large choir, numbering about 100 singers. And vice versa, the score for a large choir with divisi in different voices in the sound of a small choir loses its figurative brilliance.

Chorus types

The composition of the performing team by groups is characterized by the term type of choir. Singing voices are divided into three groups: women's, men's and children's. A choir consisting of the voices of one group is called homogeneous, and a choir consisting of female (or children's) and male voices or singing voices of all three groups is called mixed. Currently, there are four types of choirs: women's, men's, children's and mixed.

Mixed choir (full composition)

The range of the mixed choir is more than 4 octaves in G-A counter octaves up to 3 octaves. The mixed choir has a great dynamics of sound power from barely audible pp to ff, capable of competing with a symphony orchestra.

male choir

The range for the counter octave is up to 2 octaves. The male choir has a great dynamism of sound, bright timbre colors. The tenor part is the lead melodic voice and sings with a thicker chest sound.

Women's choir

The range is from the fatal octave to up to 3 octaves. Extreme sounds are rare. The most common is a mixed and close arrangement of voices. Many original compositions and adaptations of folk songs for women's choir were created by Russian and foreign composers.

Children's choir

The expressive and technical capabilities of the children's choir are closely related to the age characteristics of the composition.

A child's voice is characterized by transparency, softness, sharpness of intonation, and the ability to perfect harmony and ensemble. The sound of the children's choir is distinguished by immediacy and sincerity of performance. The children's choir has great performing abilities.

The arrangement of the choir

The arrangement of the choir is a specific system for the arrangement of singers for the purpose of their joint performing activities. Domestic choral culture has accumulated rich experience on the issue of arranging the choir. The theoretical understanding of this experience was reflected in the works of P.G. Chesnokov, G.A. Dmitrevsky, A.A. Egorov, S.V. Popov, K.K. Pirogov, V.G.Sokolova and others. So, V.G.Sokolov notes that "for the successful work of the choir, a certain arrangement of parts during rehearsals and concert performances, which is familiar to both the leader and the singers, is of no small importance."

One of the most important in this matter is the artistic and performing aspect. It is known that the arrangement should provide the singers of the parts with the most favorable conditions for ensembles. In this regard, A.A. Egorov writes: “By successively rearranging the voices within the group and carefully selecting one voice for another on the basis of homogeneity and timbres, it is possible to establish a complete merger and thereby lay the foundation for a choral part.”

The correct arrangement should ensure the possibility of auditory contact between the singers of various choral parias, because "good mutual hearing of the choral parts creates the most favorable conditions for the emergence of an ensemble and system, which is the basis for the coherence of the choir."

Usually, in the placement of the choir or the stage, they are guided by established traditions. Related parties are in the same group. The voices of each part match each other in terms of timbre, sound range, etc. The choir group is located in such a way that high voices are on the left hand of the conductor, and low voices are on the right. In a mixed choir, sopranos are placed to the left of the conductor, followed by tenors; on the right are the altos, followed by the basses.

Among the many options for the arrangement of homogeneous choirs, the one where each party is located in a group, like a sector, is popular. In the women's or children's choir (from left to right): second sopranos, first sopranos, altos first, altos second. In the male choir: second tenors, first tenors, second basses, first basses, octavists are in the center. It is believed that placing the first high voices (I soprano or I tenors) in the middle of the choir improves the sonority, and the location of the second high voices (II soprano or II tenors) “covers” the sound of the first to some extent.

Women's (children's) choir

male choir

This arrangement of the choir is usually used in sound recording. In this case, a separate microphone is placed before each choral part. The placement of a mixed choir when recording sound takes into account the direction of the sound of each choral part to a separately exposed microphone.

In addition to the above, other options for arranging the groups of the choir group are also used, for example:

Women's (children's) choir

During rehearsals, the choir should be positioned in the same way as during the performance. It is not recommended to place the choir in the same horizontal plane, as this loses proper visual contact between the singers and the conductor. In addition, members of the choir will be forced to sing “in the back” of the choristers in front. In a mixed choir, it is customary for the male parts to be placed somewhat higher than the female ones.

The quartet arrangement of the choir creates the best conditions for the auditory self-control of the singers, takes into account the individual singing abilities of each member of the collective and is used in chamber choirs.

The placement of the choir on the stage depends on the acoustic properties of the reverb. Reverbation is the acoustic property of a room due to the reflective ability of their internal surfaces to increase the strength and duration of sounds (the "echo" effect). With insufficient reverb, the sound becomes “dry”, with excessive reverb, the performance will be “illegible, dirty”. Based on this, at the present time in the St. Petersburg State Singing Chapel. M.I. Glinka (headed by V.A. Chernushenko) uses the arrangement of the choir, in which female voices make up the third and fourth rows, and male voices occupy the first and second rows. At the same time, the leader of this group uses a wide arrangement of the choir.

It is better to arrange the choir in the form of a small semicircle (fan-shaped) or, in extreme cases, in a straight line with small roundings at the edges. The location of the choir exclusively in a straight line is less appropriate.

When performing choral works with piano accompaniment, the instrument is placed in front of the choir in the center or to the right (from the conductor); when performed with an orchestra or ensemble accompaniment, the orchestra or ensemble is placed in front, and the choir is placed in a small semicircle behind it. For example, when performing “Three Russian Songs” by S. Rachmaninov, written for an incomplete mixed choir (altos and basses) and orchestra, choral voices are usually located to the left (altos) and to the right (bass) of the conductor behind the orchestra on a special platform (choral benches) . In this case, the sonority of each individual part becomes more compact and monolithic. The long-term use of one choral part, as, for example, in the specified work, makes it possible to characterize the choral part with a very rare term - a choir of violas or a choir of basses.

Conducted modern scientific research on the influence of acoustic patterns and the location of singers made it possible to make adjustments to the arrangement of the choir and develop a number of practical recommendations aimed at ensuring proper conditions for the auditory self-control of singers:

do not put strong and weak voices in the neighborhood;

use a mixed version of a wide arrangement with an alternation of related and heterogeneous voices.

The presented arrangement has the following advantages:

It creates conditions for achieving artistic ensemble not on the basis of leveling timbres, but by identifying the natural timbre capabilities of each voice, which reflects the trend of progressive vocal and choral methods and contributes to the successful development and improvement of singing abilities.

Creates more effective conditions for the organization of the choir as a community of individuals (ensemble of soloists).

Contributes to the formation of each singer a higher degree of responsibility for the quality of their "vocal production". Making music in such an arrangement requires the singer to show maximum initiative and independence.

It contributes to the identification of the individual timbre characteristics of each voice and thus has a very significant impact on the quality of the sound of the choir, which becomes richer in timbre, more saturated and voluminous.

Keywords

Choir; type; view; number; choral parts; female; male; mixed; children; arrangement; execution; timbres.

Short conclusions

The vocal and methodological aspect of the arrangement of the choir is touched upon in works on children's musical education. So, M.F. Zarinskaya notes the importance of the arrangement of singers for organizing the influence of some voices on others in the process of vocal education in the choir. She recommends placing in the last row and along the edges of the choir "those who sing in the most beautiful timbre and naturally, also experienced choristers, in front - children who sing more dimly or have certain shortcomings in singing."

Control questions

1. What is a choir?

2. Give a description of the mixed choir.

3. What options do you know for arranging the choir?

4. What factors influence the location of choir singers on stage?

Literature

Osenneva M.S., Samarin V.A. Choral class and practical work with the choir. - M. 2003

Keerig O.P. Choreology - S.-P. 2004

Sokolov Vl. Work with the choir - M., "Music", 1983

What is a choir, and what is not a choir, but can only be called a gathering of singers? What is choral sonority, and what is only the sound of human voices? Why does one team sing great, and the other - mediocre? Let's consider these questions in this article.

Chorus - a gathering of people who sing

Before understanding what a choir is as a concept, we note that this is an amazing and excellent invention of mankind. The choral movement has gained momentum in recent years. A huge number of people come to the teams, new ones are constantly appearing, festivals and all kinds of competitions are being held more and more often. Singing is the most accessible activity for both a child and an elderly person who has absolute or relative pitch, or who wants to learn choral singing. There are a lot of amateur bands where you don't have to pay dues and buy an expensive instrument, you just need to take care of your voice and know how to use it correctly.

What is a choir? Definition in the dictionaries of Dahl, Ozhegov and Ushakov

In the explanatory dictionary of Vladimir Dal, this is a collection of choristers for consonant singing. A meeting of a certain circle of musicians for collective music. There is a female choir, male and mixed. Khorishcha - three hundred votes. Choral singing is defined in Dahl's dictionary as friendly and collaborative.

In Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary, this is an ensemble or some group of singers. The four-part choir consists of various singing voices.

In the explanatory dictionary of Ushakov - in the ancient Greek drama, a group of people participating in a performance with singing or dancing is called a choir. He also deciphers the choir as a group of singers who perform predominantly vocal music. Varieties of the choir according to Ushakov:

• opera house choir;
• choir of musicians;
• balalaika choir;
• female;
• male;
• church.

This word is also called a piece of music, where every vocal part is performed by several voices.

This is what a chorus is as a definition in the explanatory dictionaries of venerable experts in the Russian language.

Why does a person need a choir?

Singing in a choir is fun. A singing person is the least susceptible to stress and depression, since vocals have a beneficial effect on him and a kind of psychotherapeutic effect.

High-quality choral singing largely depends on proper breathing, which has a positive effect on the health of singers. Choral music improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system, increases the tone of the brain. In Australia, qualified medical professionals have discovered that singing can improve the health of people suffering from diseases of the joints and spine. Another interesting fact is that choral singing is gradually being introduced into the prevention and treatment program in various medical institutions. So, for example, in one of the antenatal clinics in Saratov, pregnant women practice singing, which positively affects both the expectant mother herself and her fetus. Choral singing is also intended for children - it develops them physically and spiritually.

What is a choir in music?

Professional musicians know that it is not so easy to achieve the perfect sound of a choir, the composition of which sometimes surprises with its size. In musical institutions of III and IV levels of accreditation, there is a specialty "Choral Conducting", where one of the most important disciplines for a future professional is studied - "Choral Studies". The main goal is to achieve the integrity and solidity of all parties, so that the sound of the ensemble is associated with a single living organism, the harmonious and harmonious sound of which would bring true pleasure.

Thus, the choir is a kind of assembly of singing people, the ideal sonority of which is achieved through ensemble unity with a verified system and artistically developed nuances. Choral groups can consist of amateurs, the sound of whose voice is sometimes in no way inferior to real professionals.

Gregorian Church Choir

Choir of the Perm College of Music

Most often, the choir includes four choral parts: soprano, alto, tenor, bass. But the number of parties is not limited in principle, since each of these main parties can be divided into several relatively independent parties (this phenomenon is called divisi by musicians): Vasily Titov's part concerts have 12 or more choral parts; "Stabat Mater" by Krzysztof Penderecki was written for a triple choir with 4 voices each (a total of 12 choral parts).

The choir may sing with or without instruments. Singing unaccompanied is called singing a cappella. Instrumental accompaniment can include virtually any instrument, one or more, or an entire orchestra. As a rule, at choir rehearsals, in the process of learning a piece written for choir and orchestra, the orchestra is temporarily replaced by the piano; the piano is also used as an auxiliary instrument when learning choral works a cappella.

Story

Some of the earliest singing groups were the ancient Greek choirs used during tragedies. But unlike modern drama and theater, he himself was not a character, but played the role of public opinion, which determined the choice of other characters. The ancient Greek choir always sang in one voice, either unaccompanied or to the kithara, which also played in unison with the choir.

Early Christianity adopted the ancient tradition, and until the 10th-12th centuries, choirs sang only in unison or octave. Then began the division of votes into low and high and the emergence of different parties for them. Until the 15th century (and in church hymns - until the 17th century), only men were in the choir (with the exception of the choirs of nuns).

Types of choirs

under the name choir type understand the characteristics of the performing group by the constituent groups of singing voices. It is known that singing voices are divided into three groups - women's, men's and children's. Thus, a choir that unites the voices of one group is called homogeneous, and a choir that has combinations of female (or children's) and male voices or singing voices of all groups is called mixed. In performing practice, four types of choirs are common: women's, men's, children's, mixed.

• mixed choir(the most common type of choir) - consists of female and male voices. The female voices are the soprano and alto parts, the male voices are the tenor and bass parts. Within each part, there is usually a division into first (higher) and second (lower) voices: sopranos I and II, altos I and II, tenors I and II, basses I and II;
• boys and youths choir- consists of the same four main parts as the mixed one, but the soprano part is performed by boys called trebles, the alto part is performed by low boy voices; the parts of tenors and basses in such a choir, as well as in a mixed one, are performed by men;
• male choir- consists of tenors and basses, with the subdivision of each part into two voices: first (high) and second (low) tenors and first and second basses. The part of the first tenors can be expanded with countertenor singers singing (in falsetto) an even higher part, which is outside the usual male vocal range in tessitura;
• female choir- consists of sopranos and altos, with the subdivision of each part into two voices: first and second sopranos and first and second altos;
• children's choir- consists of two parties: soprano (treble) and altos, sometimes from three - sopranos (treble) I and II, and altos; other options are also possible.

The minimum number of singers in one choral part is 3 people.

From the point of view of the manner of singing, there are:

• academic choirs- singing in an academic manner. The academic style of singing is based on the principles and criteria of musical creativity and performance, developed by professional musical culture and the traditions of the centuries-old experience of opera and chamber genres;
• folk choirs- singing in a folk manner. The genre features of Russian folk choirs are: reliance on the local or regional tradition of everyday folk singing; use of natural register sounding of voices; subvocal-polyphonic chant of the song as the basis of choral polyphony.

Types of choral singing

By the number of participants there are:

• vocal and choral ensemble- from 12 to 20 participants;
• chamber choirs- from 20 to 30-50 participants;
• middle choirs- from 40 to 60-70 participants;
• large choirs- from 70 to 120 participants;
• combined choirs- up to 1000 participants, gather for a while from different teams. Such compositions have the status of "happing performance" and do not belong to the performing arts proper, as they are more of a propaganda and educational direction.

Choirs may have different status, such as professional, amateur (amateur), church and training choirs.

see also

Notes

Literature

• Anisimov A.I. Conductor-choirmaster. Creative and methodological notes. - L .: "Music", 1976. - 160 p.
• Asafiev B.V. On choral art: Sat. articles / Comp. and comment. A. Pavlova-Arbenina.- L.: Music, 1980.- 216 p.
• Vinogradov K. Work on diction in the choir. - M .: Muzyka, 1967.
• Dmitrevskaya K. Russian Soviet choral music. Issue. 1.- M.: Soviet composer, 1974.
• Dmitrevsky G. Choir studies and choir management. - Muzgiz, 1957.
• Evgrafov, Yu. A. Elementary theory of manual control of the choir. - M.: Music, 1995
• Egorov, A. A. Theory and practice of working with the choir / A. A. Egorov. - L.; Moscow: Gosmuzizdat, 1951.

mixed choir formed as a result of the connection of a children's or women's choir with a male one; in a mixed choir - two groups of voices: the upper one is female or children's voices, the lower one is male voices.
A typical composition of a four-part mixed choir has soprano, alto, tenor and bass parts. An example of such a composition is the choir from Act I of the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila by Glinka - “Health and Glory to the Bright Prince”:

A. Incomplete composition of the mixed choir
A mixed choir may not include all of the named parties, but only some of them. For example, a choir may have altos, tenors, and basses; or soprano, alto and tenor; any combination of one of the choral parts of the upper group can be combined with one of the parts of the lower group (soprano + tenor, alto + bass, alto + tenor, etc.). Such compositions form an incomplete mixed choir.

B. Doubling voices in a mixed choir
Depending on the texture of the piece of music, a mixed choir can sing in unison (rare cases) or in an octave, the so-called octave unison (common case); can also sing in two voices, in the latter case the soprano part is usually doubled into an octave by the tenor part, and the alto part by the bass part. All monophonic and two-voiced choral works, therefore, can be performed by a mixed choir with octave doublings.
When a mixed choir performs a piece of music written for three voices, the most common duplication technique is octave doubling between first sopranos and first tenors, between second sopranos and second tenors, between altos and basses.
An example of doubling voices in unison and octave is the following excerpts from the opera "Prince Igor" by I. Borodin:

B. Possibilities of a mixed choir in connection with the division of voices

It was said above that the mixed choir basically has four parts. However, the possibilities of a mixed choir far exceed this typical presentation. If in choral scores designed for a homogeneous composition, the division reaches four, five, six, and even seven voices, then it is not difficult to imagine the possibility of dividing the parts of a mixed choir, which has two homogeneous choirs.
Let us consider some combinations resulting from the division of voices of a mixed choir, adopting the following conventions for this: voices are denoted by letters (C - soprano, A - altos, T - tenor, B - basses); the numbers next to the letter indicate the part being played - the first or second, etc. For example, C 1 indicates the first sopranos, C 2 - the second sopranos, etc.

1. (S 1 + S 2) + A + T + B
2. C + (A 1 + A2) + T + B
3. C + A + (T 1 + T 2) + B
4. C + A + T + (B 1 + B 2)

1. (C 1 + C 2) + (A 1 + A 2) + T + B
2. (C 1 + C 2) + A + (T 1 + T 2) + B
3. (C 1 + C 2) + A + T + (B 1 + B 2)
4. C + (A 1 + A 2) + (T 1 + T 2) + B
5. C+(A 1 +A 2)+T+(B 1 +B 2)
6. C+A+(T 1 +T 2) + (B 1 +B 2)

1. (C 1 + C2) + (A 1 + A 2) + (T 1 + T 2) + B
2. C+(A 1 +A2)+(T 1 +T 2)+(B 1 +B 2)
3. (C 1 + C2) + A + (T 1 + T 2) + (B 1 + B 2)
4. (C 1 + C2) + (A 1 + A 2) + T + (B 1 + B 2)

(C 1 + C 2) + (A 1 + A 2) + (T 1 + T 2) + (B 1 + B 2)

Other combinations are also possible. It is not uncommon for a piece of music to be performed for two or even three choirs.
Thus, according to the number of voices for which the performed work is designed, a mixed choir can be one-voice, two-voice, three-, four-, five-, six-, seven-, eight-voice, etc.

There are many polyphonic choirs in Russian musical literature. We recommend that the student analyze Taneyev's choirs, op. 27.