A Joyful Night Cover Image

A Joyful Night: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

$27.99 USD
$27.99 USD
Skip to product information
A Joyful Night Cover Image
A Joyful Night: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

A Joyful Night: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Words and music by Ruth Morris Gray

Item: 00-A-00015433
$27.99
Digital Download

Related Items

A Joyful Night: SSATB Choral Octavo

$1.85
View

A Joyful Night: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

$1.85
View

A Joyful Night: SSA Choral Octavo

$1.85
View
Description

A Joyful Night: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

No sample pages found.
Sample Audio
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-A-00015433

More about this title

About the Composer: Ruth Morris Gray

Ruth Morris Gray

Ruth Morris Gray directs choirs at Rosemead High School in Rosemead, California, where she has shaped young musicians since 2004. Beyond the rehearsal room, she has established herself as a prolific composer with over 100 published choral works to her name. Gray holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Composition from Biola University and a Master of Arts in Music Composition from the University of California, Santa Barbara, credentials that inform both her teaching and her compositional voice.

Her training spans performance, pedagogy, and credentialing. She earned her California Single Subject Music Credential from California State University, Northridge, and continues to perform and compose actively. When not at the piano or in the choir room, Gray pursues travel, swimming, reading, and cycling with her husband, Douglas.

Why we love this

A Joyful Night captures the warmth of the season without relying on tired arrangements or oversaturated carols. Gray's compositional instincts shine through in the harmonic language and phrasing, giving singers something genuinely satisfying to perform rather than simply execute. The recorded accompaniment lets directors rehearse independently and gives choirs confidence leading into performances.

What to expect

This piece radiates the intimacy of a quiet, contemplative Christmas Eve rather than bombast or sentimentality. Gray's harmonic language feels both familiar and gently surprising, creating moments of genuine uplift woven through graceful writing.

Who it's for

Choirs looking for Christmas music with substance will find A Joyful Night rewarding at multiple vocal levels. The piece works equally well for high school choirs, community ensembles, and church programs seeking material that feels fresh without demanding advanced technique.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the harmonic color carefully throughout. Gray's writing often layers voices in ways that reward precise intonation and attentive blend.
  • Use the recorded accompaniment during sectional rehearsals to help singers internalize their lines against accurate harmonic support.
  • Shape phrases by listening for where Gray places her cadential moments rather than defaulting to every four-bar phrase as equal.
  • Let the text drive your interpretation. Sacred Christmas repertoire depends on clear diction and intentional pacing to land its emotional weight.

How to use it

Pair this with one brighter or more energetic selection to create balanced programming across your Christmas concert. Its sacred sensibility makes it ideal for mid-concert placement, giving audiences space to settle into reflection before building back to something more celebratory.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing sustained, controlled phrases in sacred context
  • Blending voices within Gray's sophisticated harmonic progressions
  • Following accompaniment independence while maintaining ensemble cohesion
  • Interpreting text with clarity and emotional intent in choral setting

You May Also Like