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Count the Stars: SATB Choral Octavo

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Count the Stars: SATB Choral Octavo

Count the Stars: SATB Choral Octavo

Words and music by Andy Beck

Item: 00-46366
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Description
This tender song of remembrance features a poignant original text combined with Latin phrases from the Requiem Mass. Close cluster chords, beautifully sculpted phrases, and expressive dynamics leave the listener with a sense of awe and wonder. Not to be missed! This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 12
UPC: 038081527451
SKU: 00-46366

More about this title

About the Composer: Andy Beck

Andy Beck

Andy Beck directs choral publications at Alfred Music and has established himself as one of the most widely performed contemporary choral composers, with more than 450 works currently in print across sacred, secular, and musical theatre genres. His influence extends through his pedagogical resources, including the sight-singing curricula Sing at First Sight and Foundations in Choral Sight Singing, as well as Vocalize!, a collection of vocal warm-ups designed to build technique alongside musicality. A trained tenor with degrees from Ithaca College and Northwest Missouri State University, Beck combines his deep understanding of choral sound with practical classroom knowledge.

Beyond the page, Beck's work as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator has taken him across the United States and internationally, including engagements with all-state honor choirs and commissioned works for ensembles of all ages. His involvement with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir and three decades as an Alfred Music studio singer inform his writing with both artistic maturity and accessibility. This commitment to choral artistry and music literacy shapes not only his own compositions but also the thoughtful catalog he has cultivated for the publisher.

Why we love this

Beck's integration of a meaningful original text with liturgical Latin creates emotional weight without requiring specialized sacred music expertise from your singers. The harmonic language—those close cluster chords he favors—generates a modern sound that still feels grounded and singable, making this a sophisticated choice for competitive festival programming or a memorial concert that wants musical substance alongside emotional resonance.

What to expect

Tender but never sentimental, this piece invites singers into a space of quiet contemplation. The cluster harmonies create a luminous, almost ethereal wash of sound, while the text anchors the abstraction with something human and specific. Listeners emerge feeling witnessed and moved, as if they've stood beneath the night sky with the singers.

Who it's for

This octavo works for intermediate to advanced high school or college choirs seeking concert repertoire with artistic depth. It's equally suited to adult community choirs comfortable with expressive text painting and modern harmonic language. The blend of remembrance and wonder makes it compelling for both festival competition and solemn ceremonial contexts.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the cluster harmonies by thinking vertically rather than horizontally; ensure each voice line sits in its natural range and avoids oversinging to project outward.
  • Use the expressive dynamics as structural markers; they're not just emotional flourishes but guides that shape phrase architecture and arrival points.
  • Shape phrases through breath placement and vowel consistency rather than tempo manipulation; the beauty lies in sustained, sculpted lines.

How to use it

Anchor this piece as the emotional center of a concert focused on texts of remembrance or spiritual reflection. Its 12 pages allow it to sit comfortably on a program without dominating rehearsal time, freeing you to develop other contrasting work alongside it. Consider pairing it with lighter secular pieces earlier in the program to let this one land with full impact.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing in close cluster harmonies and identifying their function in creating tonal color
  • Shaping long, sustained phrases through breath control and vowel consistency
  • Interpreting expressive dynamic markings as architectural elements, not decoration
  • Navigating music with mixed textual sources (original and liturgical Latin) with ensemble coherence

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