Coming Home: SAB Choral Octavo
Music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0002141
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Here's an original work in the style of an English folk song with a simple text sentiment: "I have traveled sea and mountain" but now "I am coming home." Easy piano accompaniment and vocal lines, yet the piece is powerful in its simplicity.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0002141
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 later received the Distinguished Alumni award. His eight-year tenure as a rights and licenses administrator at a major educational publisher gave him deep insight into the needs of choirs and educators; during this period, he also served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America.
As a composer, Althouse has written more than 800 choral works performed across the English-speaking world. He holds membership in ASCAP and has received the organization's Special Award multiple times for his compositions. Beyond composing, he has co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, compiled influential vocal collections, co-authored The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers, and written classroom resources including Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. His choral composition I Hear America Singing, co-written with his wife, was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. Althouse currently serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America and contributes regularly to the society's publications.
Why we love this
Althouse captures the emotional weight of homecoming without a single wasted note. The folk song idiom feels authentic because his decades of work with traditional music give it genuine roots, and the SAB voicing ensures every singer feels the text, not buried in complex harmony. Directors consistently return to his work because it combines accessibility with emotional resonance that audiences recognize and connect to immediately.
What to expect
Quiet and reflective, with the warmth of a well-worn folk melody. The piece unfolds like a traveler pausing to remember the journey, then feeling the pull of home with quiet certainty. Despite its simplicity, there is dignity and emotional weight in the unadorned melody and supporting harmonies.
Who it's for
SAB choirs of all levels, from developing ensembles to experienced groups seeking repertoire with genuine emotional depth. The accessible vocal ranges and straightforward piano part make it suitable for high school and community choirs, while the craftsmanship appeals to directors who value substance over technical showiness.
How to get the most out of it
- Allow the text to shape your phrasing rather than forcing regularity. 'I have traveled sea and mountain' should breathe like a journey, with natural pauses that reflect the weight of distance.
- Balance the piano accompaniment carefully; its simplicity is the piece's strength, so resist the urge to add interpretation that overshadows the vocal line.
- Unify vowel shapes across the three parts, particularly on sustained notes, to let the warm tonal quality shine through without straining.
- Consider the moment 'I am coming home' deserves subtle energy and focus from all singers. This turning point should feel like arrival, not merely a lyrical statement.
How to use it
Program this as a moment of stillness and introspection in a concert, or use it to open a set of folk-inspired works that show the range of the genre. Its universal theme of homecoming makes it effective for end-of-year concerts, alumni events, or any program celebrating community and belonging.
Skills your students will build
- Singing with clear, natural diction in a folk idiom
- Sustaining long melodic lines without tension
- Blending three-part harmony with consistent vowel placement
- Interpreting text through phrasing and breath placement
- Understanding the structure and harmonic language of English folk song