Cardinal: PianoTrax Digital Download

$9.99 USD

Cardinal: PianoTrax Digital Download

Words and music by Andy Beck

Item: 00-A-00016592

$9.99

Digital Download

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Series: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

UPC: 0

SKU: 00-A-00016592

Instrumentation: Opt. Sleigh Bells, Mark Tree

More about this title

About the Composer: Andy Beck

Andy Beck directs choral publications at Alfred Music and has composed and arranged more than 450 choral works now in active circulation. His educational resources include the widely adopted sight-singing series Sing at First Sight, Foundations in Choral Sight Singing, and Vocalize! 45 Vocal Warm-Ups That Teach Technique, all designed to strengthen musical literacy and vocal technique from the ground up.

Beyond the page, Beck works as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician across the United States and internationally. He has served as commissioned composer and guest conductor for state and regional honor choirs, performed as a tenor soloist, directed musical theatre, and sung with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir. A graduate of Ithaca College and Northwest Missouri State University, Beck has been a studio singer for Alfred Music since 1992, bringing both pedagogical expertise and performance experience to every publication he creates.

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Why we love this

Beck's gift for writing singable, accessible two-part music without sacrificing musical substance makes this piece an ideal choice for festivals and contests. The optional percussion parts and digital format mean you can adapt the arrangement to your resources, and the winter season setting gives you a polished selection that works as both a concert piece and a competitive entry.

What to expect

Warmth and simplicity define this winter selection. The piece carries a reflective, accessible quality that feels fresh without being overly sentimental, making it approachable for singers while remaining genuinely musical.

Who it's for

This piece serves developing choral singers at the middle and high school level, including younger treble choirs and mixed ensembles building two-part literacy. It also works for community choruses and church choirs seeking contemporary sacred-adjacent seasonal repertoire with modest vocal demands.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the two parts so neither dominates; the independence of the lines matters more in a two-part texture, so rehearse with singers switching parts to hear both sides.
If you include the sleigh bells and mark tree, introduce them after the choir has secured the melody and harmony, so they enhance rather than distract from the vocal writing.
Maintain clarity in diction throughout; two-part writing exposes sloppy articulation, so give this the same attention to vowel unity and consonant precision you would in larger ensembles.

How to use it

Slot this into a winter concert as a contrasting moment between more elaborate larger-ensemble pieces, or use it as your festival entry in the contemporary secular category. The two-part voicing and optional instrumentation also make it valuable for a concert pairing two-part and four-part repertoire side by side, showing the choir's range.