Amazing Grace: SSA Choral Octavo
Amazing Grace Sheet Music Preview

Amazing Grace: SSA Choral Octavo

Arranged by Michael Hanawalt

Item: 35-DS00138423
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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Page Count: 3
SKU: 35-DS00138423

More about this title

About the Arranger: Michael Hanawalt

Michael Hanawalt

Michael Hanawalt directs graduate choral studies at Florida State University, where he conducts the Chamber Choir and teaches conducting and choral literature. He has held positions as Director of Choral Activities at Wichita State University and Chorus Director at the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, and he was a Visiting Instructor at St. Olaf College.

A founding member of the professional ensemble Cantus, Dr. Hanawalt spent eleven years with the group, recording twelve CDs and performing in over 500 concerts alongside major orchestras and ensembles including the Boston Pops and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He also served as Cantus' Executive Director, managing organizational growth and development. As a tenor soloist, he has won competitions through the Schubert Club, Thursday Musical, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and has performed as soloist in major works including Bach's Matthäus-Passion, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and Mozart's Requiem. His choral arrangements are published by Boosey & Hawkes, Colla Voce, and Neil A. Kjos Music Company.

Why we love this

Hanawalt brings his deep experience as both a choral conductor and professional singer to this arrangement, creating a setting that respects the melody's reverence while offering enough textural variety to keep singers engaged. This version has already proven itself at national ACDA conventions, giving you confidence in its musicality and teachability across ability levels.

What to expect

The arrangement honors the hymn's spiritual weight while opening it to fuller harmonic color through the three-voice texture. Singers experience the meditative quality of this beloved melody without the constraints of traditional four-part harmony, allowing the words and message to emerge with clarity and warmth.

Who it's for

Treble choirs at the high school or early collegiate level will find this arrangement accessible yet rewarding. It works equally well for community choirs, church ensembles, and mixed programs seeking a sacred piece that carries both familiarity and artistry.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the harmony voices carefully in rehearsal by having sopranos and altos sing their lines independently before blending, ensuring the familiar tune remains the anchor throughout.
  • Let the spiritual nature of the text shape your approach to phrasing rather than treating it as a strict hymn setting; these three voices can breathe with real expression.
  • Consider the acoustic properties of your venue when determining tempo; this arrangement's effectiveness depends on allowing the harmonies to resonate without rushing.

How to use it

This fits naturally into any concert celebrating American sacred music or spiritual traditions. Program it as a centerpiece in a treble voices concert, pair it with other arranged hymns for thematic coherence, or use it as an accessible entry point when introducing SSA arranging techniques to your students.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing inner voice independence with melody preservation
  • Executing clear phrase shapes in three-part treble voicing
  • Interpreting sacred text with musical sensitivity
  • Reading and performing SSA arrangements with stylistic awareness

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