Coming Home: SSA Choral Octavo
Music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0002142
$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-0002142
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 with the Distinguished Alumni award. His career spans music publishing administration at a major educational house, where he also served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America, and composition; he has over 800 choral works in print performed regularly across the English-speaking world.
Althouse is an ASCAP writer member and a consistent recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his compositions. Beyond his choral output, he has co-created children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, curated vocal solo collections including Folk Songs for Solo Singers, and written pedagogical resources such as The Complete Choral Warm-up Book, Accent on Composers, Ready to Read Music, and Sixty Music Quizzes. His choral composition I Hear America Singing, co-written with Albrecht, was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Barack Obama's Inauguration in 2009. Althouse resides in Wake Forest, North Carolina, and serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.
Why we love this
Althouse captures the emotional arc of homecoming in a form that feels effortlessly singable. The restraint here is the strength: you don't need big gestures or complex harmony to move an audience when the text and melody align so naturally. This sits perfectly in the middle ground between accessible and artful, making it ideal for choirs building confidence in their ability to convey genuine feeling.
What to expect
The melody unfolds with the quiet inevitability of a traveler finally seeing home on the horizon. There's warmth and weariness in equal measure, grounded by straightforward harmony that lets the text breathe naturally. The simplicity invites singers and listeners alike into an intimate, reflective moment.
Who it's for
This piece suits treble choirs (middle school through adult) seeking repertoire that combines accessibility with emotional authenticity. Directors looking for a work that doesn't rely on technical complexity to achieve depth will find a strong candidate here.
How to get the most out of it
- Treat the melody as speech-song rather than lyrical showcase. The folk idiom thrives when lines sound conversational and unhurried.
- Balance the three vocal parts so no single voice dominates; the power comes from blend and unified phrasing across the ensemble.
- Work with your pianist to keep the accompaniment transparent and supportive. The simplicity of the piano writing should never feel like an afterthought.
- Shape the narrative arc gently. The text moves from travel to arrival, so allow tempo and dynamic nuance to mirror that emotional journey without exaggeration.
How to use it
Position this as a centerpiece for a program exploring themes of journey and belonging, or pair it with other folk-influenced works to highlight Althouse's gift for reimagining traditional forms. It works equally well as a concert opener that establishes an introspective mood or as a closer that leaves the audience with a sense of arrival and resolution.
Skills your students will build
- Singing with natural phrasing and lyrical clarity in a folk idiom
- Maintaining blend and balance across three-part SSA texture
- Responding to text meaning through subtle tempo and dynamic shaping
- Understanding how simplicity in melody and harmony can deepen emotional impact