Gaudete

This medieval carol often presents the challenge in performance of where to breathe - each line of words runs up right to the end of the phrase and the next is upon you with barely a moment to inhale. So the arrangement sets out to solve this problem by breaking the ensemble into subgroups that alternate their phrases giving the singers time to breathe, and the audience a seamless musical experience.

As it progresses, the process of overlapping becomes more and more complex until the texture disintegrates into all voices working independently. This makes the arrival of the final chorus in full four-part harmony all the more striking.