Blessings of the Season: 2-Part Choral Octavo
By Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0000104
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Description
You might call it a "contemporary carol," and in fact, the lyrics are adapted from an old English carol. The fresh melody and crisp harmonies say "holidays" and the new words are just right for the caroling season, complete with a "fa-la-la" refrain. Add the optional hand drum and tambourine for a Celtic Christmas feel.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0000104
Instrumentation:
Opt. Percussion
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 received the Distinguished Alumni award. His career spans both administrative and creative work; he spent eight years as a rights and licenses administrator at a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, he has written more than 800 choral works performed widely across the English-speaking world and is a ASCAP writer member with multiple Special Award recognitions.
Beyond his prolific output as a composer, Althouse has contributed significantly to music education through co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, curated vocal solo collections including Folk Songs for Solo Singers, and authored instructional resources such as The Complete Choral Warm-up Book, Accent on Composers, Ready to Read Music, Sixty Music Quizzes, and One-Page Composer Bios. He co-wrote I Hear America Singing, performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. Althouse resides in North Carolina and serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.
Why we love this
Althouse has engineered something genuinely fresh here by pairing a contemporary melody with adapted lyrics from a traditional English carol, giving singers a piece that feels both rooted and new. The 2-part voicing keeps technical demands manageable while the crisp harmonies and fa-la-la refrain create genuine warmth. Optional percussion parts (hand drum and tambourine) offer directors immediate options for adding texture without complicating preparation.
What to expect
There's a buoyant, caroling-ready quality here: the melody sits comfortably in the voice and the harmonies feel supportive rather than demanding. The fa-la-la sections have a playful, almost dance-like energy that invites audiences into the festive spirit without sounding overwrought.
Who it's for
This works well for community choirs, church ensembles, and school choirs seeking repertoire that's both accessible and festive. The 2-part voicing makes it ideal for rehearsal groups with limited soprano or alto depth, and the optional percussion allows directors to scale instrumentation to their ensemble's strengths.
How to get the most out of it
- Bring out the fa-la-la refrain as a moment of joy rather than mere rhythmic punctuation; it's the hook that makes this arrangement memorable.
- If using percussion, rehearse those players separately first, then layer in with the choir to ensure the Celtic feel enhances rather than obscures the melody.
- Shape the phrase ends gently to preserve the carol's lyrical quality, especially important in a 2-part texture where every voice line is audible.
How to use it
Program this as a program brightener in your main holiday concert, or feature it as the anchor of a caroling service event. Its accessibility makes it effective as an opener that builds audience goodwill before moving into weightier seasonal pieces.
Skills your students will build
- Singing in two independent vocal lines with clear harmonic awareness
- Maintaining rhythmic precision in sections with repeated fa-la-la patterns
- Balancing melody and harmony in a thin texture
- Ensemble blend and intonation across a limited voice count
- Coordination with optional percussion for rhythmic ensemble singing