Agnus Dei 2020: SATB Choral Octavo
By Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0006633
$2.05
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
The title provides an important timestamp for an unprecedented year. Veteran choral composer Jay Althouse constructed this very special work in remembrance of lives lost during the pandemic. His setting of the traditional Latin text is built upon a melody inspired by nature: "Near the end of my walk that day, I heard a bird singing three notes over and over again. I came home and began writing. The bird's song is the first three notes of the opening melody." Solemn, prayerful, and poignant.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0006633
More about this title
About the Composer: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was later honored with the Distinguished Alumni award. His career spans both administration and composition; he spent eight years managing rights and licensing for a major educational publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, Althouse has created more than 800 choral works performed widely across the English-speaking world. His contributions to choral music have earned him regular ASCAP Special Awards, and he holds membership as a writer in ASCAP.
Beyond composition, Althouse has collaborated extensively with his wife, Sally K. Albrecht, on children's musicals and vocal collections. His educational contributions include co-authoring The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers, as well as writing classroom resources like Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. Among his most significant collaborative works is I Hear America Singing, performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. Based in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Althouse has served the North Carolina Master Chorale and currently sits on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.
Why we love this
Althouse crafted this work from a deeply personal moment of inspiration during an incomprehensible time, transforming a bird's three-note song into a haunting memorial. The setting honors both the Latin liturgical tradition and the emotional weight of collective loss, giving your singers a meaningful text to inhabit rather than a generic expression of sorrow. The music's accessibility at the SATB level means your choir can focus on emotional authenticity rather than technical struggle.
What to expect
The piece unfolds with quiet dignity, anchored by a melody born from nature that feels both intimate and universal. There is no sentimentality here; instead, Althouse achieves a tender solemnity that invites reflection without demanding tears.
Who it's for
This octavo serves choirs seeking a substantive memorial work for a concert or festival program. It works equally well for high school, college, and community ensembles with solid vocal fundamentals and the emotional maturity to engage with contemplative repertoire.
How to get the most out of it
- Honor the prayerful quality by maintaining consistent legit tone production throughout; resist the urge to rush phrases even when the text pulls toward urgency.
- Pay close attention to the bird-song melody in the opening and how it recurs; these moments deserve slight emphasis so listeners recognize the programmatic element that anchors the work.
- Balance soloistic and tutti passages carefully; if certain sections carry melodic fragments, let them emerge without overwhelming the harmonic foundation.
How to use it
Program this as a centerpiece in a concert dedicated to remembrance or peace, where it can stand alone or anchor a larger thematic group. Its modest length makes it an ideal addition to a mixed repertoire concert where you want to include a work of genuine substance and contemporary relevance without dominating the program.
Skills your students will build
- Sustained, expressive phrase singing in Latin text
- Balance between melodic independence and harmonic blend in SATB voicing
- Emotional communication of contemplative and memorial content
- Attention to dynamic nuance and textural variety within a restrained harmonic palette