Daffodils: SSA Choral Octavo

Name: Daffodils: SSA Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-PO-0007435
Price: 2.30 USD
Availability: InStock

Words by William Wordsworth, music by Carol Kelley

Item: 00-PO-0007435

Digital Download

$2.30

Minimum order quantity: 20 copies

Here's a setting of William Wordsworth's lyrical poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud." Composed specifically for SSA, colorful triadic harmonies and expressive musical moments are as plentiful as the golden daffodils themselves. After an uplifting dramatic key change, this art song ends with a broad ritard and full crescendo as we revisit the memory of the flower-filled scene.

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Series: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 12

SKU: 00-PO-0007435

More about this title

About the Composer: Carol Kelley

Carol Kelley grew up in Oregon and has spent her career immersed in music across multiple roles. She earned her BA in music education from George Fox University, where she pursued a triple emphasis in vocal performance, piano performance, and music composition. Her work has appeared in publications by Alfred Music, Hal Leonard, and Broadman Press.

For more than two decades, Kelley has served as accompanist for high school and middle school choirs and musicals in Newberg, Oregon, while also teaching elementary and middle school music. She currently participates as both pianist and vocalist on her church worship team. She and her husband, Dave, are devoted to the Pacific Northwest landscape and spend meaningful time with their three grandchildren.

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Why we love this

Kelley's setting honors Wordsworth's language while creating genuine moments for singers to shine. The harmonic palette is sophisticated without becoming dense; triadic sonorities feel rich and contemporary. The dramatic key change midway through the piece catches audiences and singers alike, and the broad ritard with crescendo finale gives your singers a truly satisfying ending to perform.

What to expect

The piece evokes the personal, introspective quality of Wordsworth's poem while remaining accessible and emotionally present. Triadic harmonies create warmth and brightness, mirroring the daffodils themselves, while expressive musical moments invite singers to inhabit the speaker's quiet joy and wonder.

Who it's for

Choral directors seeking repertoire that bridges literary sensitivity with contemporary musical craft. This piece works beautifully for treble choirs at the high school level and is equally effective for select middle school ensembles with solid musicianship and vowel control.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the outer voices during passages featuring the colorful triadic harmonies so the harmonic movement remains transparent and doesn't blur.
Prepare singers for the dramatic key change by marking it clearly in rehearsal; it's a pivotal moment that deserves intentional ensemble awareness.
Shape the final ritard and crescendo gradually; resist the urge to rush the broadening at the end, allowing the memory of the daffodils to settle fully before the last chord.

How to use it

Program this as part of a poetry-themed concert or as a companion to other Romantic-era texts set to music. Its moderate length and artistic sophistication make it ideal for spring concerts or festival programming where you want to showcase the musical maturity of your treble choir.