December Gifts: Choral SoundTrax CD

Name: December Gifts: Choral SoundTrax CD
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-21772
Price: 49.99 USD
Availability: InStock

A Holiday Mini-Musical or Program for Young Singers

By Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse

Grade: K--6

Item: 00-21772

$49.99

Shipped

One moment…

Learn about December holidays and gift-giving traditions around the world in December Gifts. Here's the perfect way to celebrate ALL the December holidays! Traditions vary with each holiday, but all have one thing in common---the tradition of exchanging gifts.

December Gifts: Choral SoundTrax CD isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.

No sample videos found.

Publisher: Alfred Music

ISBN10: 0-7390-3119-8

ISBN13: 978-0-7390-3119-3

UPC: 038081211657

SKU: 00-21772

More about this title

About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht brings three decades of publishing expertise to her prolific output as a choral composer and conductor. Since 1987, she has received the ASCAP Special Music Award annually and has seen over 600 choral works and 75 musicals published, many becoming staples in elementary and secondary choirs. She has conducted honor ensembles at major venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center, and served for more than thirty years as Director of School Choral, Vocal, and Elementary Publications for leading educational music publishers, most recently Alfred Music.

Albrecht holds degrees from Rollins College (B.A. in Music and Theater, 1976), the University of Miami (M.A. in Drama, 1977; M.M. in Accompanying, 1979), and has taught at Oakland University, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College. Her work emphasizes the integration of movement with choral singing, a hallmark of her pedagogical approach. She is a Distinguished Alumna of both the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Rollins College, where she serves on the Board of Trustees, and was honored as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

Albrecht and Althouse have crafted a musical that celebrates cultural specificity while keeping the production accessible for young singers. Rather than generic "holiday medley" fare, this musical genuinely explores gift-giving customs across Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa traditions, giving students real content to sing about and directors meaningful material to teach.

What to expect

The music balances celebration with authenticity, inviting singers into genuine cultural moments rather than flattening them into generic cheer. Each holiday tradition gets its own musical voice, creating a rich tapestry where young performers discover that gift-giving connects us across different families, beliefs, and customs.

Who it's for

Elementary choirs from kindergarten through sixth grade will thrive with this musical. Teachers seeking repertoire that honors multiple December traditions without diluting any of them will find a genuinely inclusive resource that respects each celebration's distinct identity.

How to get the most out of it

Use the recorded accompaniment to establish tempos and ensemble balance while your singers are still learning their parts; students will lock onto the phrasing more quickly when they have a secure model.
Build movement opportunities into rehearsals from the start. Albrecht's choral work consistently integrates physical expression, so encourage your students to explore how bodies can express the gift-giving themes as they sing.
Assign short research projects on each holiday tradition before rehearsals begin. When students understand what they're singing about, their emotional connection and interpretive choices deepen immediately.
Vary dynamics and energy between sections to keep young voices engaged and prevent fatigue across the full runtime of the piece.

How to use it

Program this as a winter concert centerpiece or as a standalone assembly performance. The multi-tradition approach works well in schools serving diverse families and creates natural conversation starters about what different holidays mean to different students.