Caritas Canon: SAB Choral Octavo
Music and additional words by Andy Beck
Item: 00-PO-0006644
$2.05
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
The traditional Ubi Caritas text is uniquely set as an uptempo jazz waltz. Just one sentence in Latin plus a few English lyrics make it clear that this song is all about "charity and love." As you've come to expect from this composer, the canon is a true skill-builder---with a modal melody that moves from unison to two and eventually three independent layers (using descant singers for 2-part choirs). Don't miss the jazzy flute obbligato available free online.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0006644
More about this title
About the Composer: Andy Beck
Andy Beck directs choral publications at Alfred Music and has established himself as one of today's most performed contemporary choral composers, with over 450 works in active circulation. His writing spans sacred and secular genres, children's musicals, and pedagogical resources; he also serves as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for honor choirs and all-state ensembles across the United States.
Beyond the page, Beck is an accomplished tenor who performs regularly with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir and has contributed as a studio vocalist for Alfred Music since 1992. He holds degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College (Bachelor's) and Northwest Missouri State University (Master's), grounding his compositional voice in classroom experience and a clear commitment to music literacy.
Why we love this
Beck's gift for writing engaging canons that feel effortless to learn but genuinely rewarding to perform comes through in full force here. The jazz waltz setting transforms a contemplative Latin text into something joyful and rhythmically alive, giving singers permission to move and groove while building serious vocal layering skills.
What to expect
Joyful and kinetic. The jazz waltz groove infuses what could be a reverent liturgical text with warmth and movement, creating a piece that feels both spiritually grounded and musically alive. Singers and audiences alike emerge energized rather than solemnized.
Who it's for
SAB choirs at the middle school, high school, or community level who want a sacred concert piece that swings. The accessible Latin text and English lyrics make it welcoming for singers with little choral experience, while the genuine three-part canon building ensures strong singers stay engaged.
How to get the most out of it
- Introduce the canon in unison first so singers internalize the melody before dividing into parts; this foundation makes the harmonic layers click immediately.
- Tap or conduct in the waltz pulse to help singers feel the jazz swing; the syncopation sits differently than straight time, and dancers will appreciate the proper rhythmic pocket.
- Balance the three-part texture by rehearsing each layer independently, then combine pairs before bringing all voices together; the modal melody can blur if upper voices oversing.
- Feature the flute obbligato (available online) in at least one run-through during rehearsal so singers hear how it dances with their parts and understand the full harmonic picture.
How to use it
Pair this as a festival or concert opener to establish a collaborative, forward-thinking tone for your program. Its brevity (12 pages) and spiritual content also position it well as a thoughtful closing number that sends the audience home with something contemplative yet joyful.
Skills your students will build
- Singing in canon with independent voice lines while maintaining ensemble cohesion
- Reading and executing syncopated rhythms and jazz phrasing in a waltz meter
- Transitioning between unison, two-part, and three-part textures with clear blend
- Singing modal melody and understanding how it functions across harmonic layers
- Sight-reading Latin text with confidence and clarity