Baby Born in Bethlehem: 1st B-flat Trumpet: Choral SoundPax
Words and music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PC-0015378_T1
$4.00
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Description
What a fresh, fun, and bluesy approach to the Christmas season! As the song says, "Hallelujah!" Great track, too--or add live horns and rhythm. Check this out! https://leapingbrain.com/modshop/product/?shop=9&product=5651
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Baby Born in Bethlehem: 1st B-flat Trumpet: Choral SoundPax comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
24
SKU:
00-PC-0015378_T1
Instrumentation:
SoundPax
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 as a Distinguished Alumnus. He spent eight years working as a rights and licenses administrator for a major educational music publisher, during which he served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a prolific composer, Althouse has over 800 choral works in print and his compositions are performed regularly across the English-speaking world.
Beyond composition, Althouse has shaped music education through numerous publications including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book, Accent on Composers, and several classroom resources like Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. He is a writer member of ASCAP and a multiple recipient of the ASCAP Special Award. Althouse collaborated with his wife Sally K. Albrecht on children's musicals and vocal collections, and co-wrote I Hear America Singing, performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. He has served on the boards of the North Carolina Master Chorale and the Folk Art Society of America.
Why we love this
Althouse's bluesy, contemporary take on a traditional Christmas text cuts through the season's predictable repertoire with genuine rhythmic swagger and personality. The SoundPax format gives you flexibility to work with the recorded accompaniment during rehearsal or to expand into a full arrangement with live horns and rhythm section, making it equally at home in a casual concert or a more polished holiday program. Directors appreciate how well this sits in the middle ground between reverent and spirited, letting choirs inhabit the joy without sacrificing musicality.
What to expect
The music radiates warmth and joy without ever becoming saccharine. Bluesy inflections give the Christmas message a soulful credibility, as though the singers have lived the story rather than simply recounting it. The 'Hallelujah' refrain becomes a moment of irrepressible celebration that feels earned.
Who it's for
Choirs at the intermediate level and above who want Christmas repertoire with contemporary flavor and genuine musical substance. This works well for groups comfortable with jazzy harmonies and rhythmic independence, whether in a school, church, or community choir setting.
How to get the most out of it
- Keep the blues groove relaxed and swinging rather than metronomically strict; the 'Hallelujah' moments land harder when the rhythm feels lived-in and organic.
- Balance the harmonic color by ensuring lower voices lock in with the root movement, especially during the funkier passages where the bass line defines the pocket.
- If adding live horns and rhythm, rehearse the choir independently first to establish their comfort with the bluesy inflections, then layer in the rhythm section to avoid the choir rushing or pulling back.
How to use it
Position this as a moment of lighter energy within a mixed Christmas service or concert, perhaps pairing it with a quieter, more traditional carol to let both pieces define each other. Its infectious groove also makes it an excellent closer for a holiday pops program or a bridge between sacred and secular repertoire in a secular concert setting.
Skills your students will build
- Blues harmony and non-diatonic harmonic language
- Rhythmic precision in syncopated ensemble passages
- Stylistically appropriate diction and phrasing in contemporary sacred music
- Balancing ensemble blend when working with recorded accompaniment
- Coordination with added instrumental parts (if live horns and rhythm are used)