Celebrating Dominick Argento at 100: choral highlights for the 2027 centennial
The centennial of Dominick Argento in 2027 offers choirs the perfect opportunity to rediscover the distinctive vocal music of one of America’s most celebrated composers. Explore choral highlights from the Boosey & Hawkes catalogue.
Born on 27 October 1927 in York, Pennsylvania, Dominick Argento (1927–2019) devoted much of his creative life to the human voice. Celebrated particularly for his lyric operas, Argento brought the same feeling for words, drama and vocal expression to an extensive body of choral and solo vocal music. His musical language moves freely between tonality, atonality and twelve-tone writing, always underpinned by a strong dramatic instinct. Argento himself described music as an “emotional language”, noting that “for me, all music begins where speech stops.”
As choirs and conductors plan for the centennial year, the Boosey & Hawkes catalogue offers repertoire through which to explore this important strand of Argento’s work. Here are six key works to discover:
> Walden Pond
SATB chorus, three cellos and harp
One of Argento’s most attractive works for mixed choir, Walden Pond turns to the writings of Henry David Thoreau for inspiration. Argento’s evocative choral lines make this an appealing 25-minute centrepiece for choirs looking to explore his distinctive treatment of text and vocal colour.
> I Hate and I Love
SATB chorus & percussion
A compact and concentrated introduction to Argento’s choral writing, I Hate and I Love draws on the poetry of Gaius Valerius Catullus. Its exploration of contrasting emotional states makes it an effective choice for ambitious choirs seeking a substantial work within a relatively concise format.
> Seasons
SATB chorus a cappella
A rewarding example of Argento’s late choral writing, Seasons explores Pat Solstad’s poetry in a richly expressive 16-minute work that showcases the colour and versatility of the human voice. The piece traces the progress of the year across four movements: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer.
> Dover Beach Revisited
SATB chorus & piano
An ideal and approachable shorter choral work for mixed chorus and piano, Dover Beach Revisited sets Matthew Arnold, vividly capturing the imagery of the poet’s famous text, as he traces a journey from the tranquillity of a moonlit sea to a darker meditation on fading faith, human suffering and the need for love in an uncertain world.
> Te Deum - Verba Domini cum verbis populi
SATB chorus & orchestra
One of Argento’s major choral works, Te Deum (Verba Domini cum verbis populi) brings an individual approach to the traditional hymn of praise. Across 21 contrasting sections, Argento alternates the familiar Latin text with anonymous Middle English poetry, creating a dialogue between sacred proclamation and a more intimate, human voice.
> The Masque of Angels - Gloria
SATB chorus & organ or ensemble
Drawn from his opera The Masque of Angels, Argento’s Gloria distils his gift for expressive vocal writing into a short work for SATB chorus accompanied by either organ, piano or small ensemble (chimes, harp, organ and strings). Its sacred character and operatic origins make it an attractive way to encounter the composer’s distinctive writing for voices, whether in concert or worship.
Discover more choral repertoire by Dominick Argento here.
Listen to a Spotify playlist here: