Each of Us Has a Light: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Words and music by Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0000735
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
You'll enjoy having this gospel-style swing piece as an excellent change-of-pace choral in your next concert. It even incorporates a bit of the traditional spiritual "This Little Light of Mine." Uplifting text for year-round use. Even appropriate for a candle-lighting ceremony any time of year.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0000735
More about this title
About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht
Sally K. Albrecht has shaped American choral music for decades as a composer, conductor, and clinician with a distinctive focus on movement and accessibility. Since 1987, she has received annual ASCAP Special Music Awards and has published over 600 choral works alongside 75 musicals and songbooks. She spent more than thirty years directing choral, vocal, and elementary music publications at major educational publishers, including Alfred Music, while simultaneously conducting honor choirs at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center.
Albrecht holds degrees from Rollins College (B.A. in Music and Theater, 1976) and the University of Miami (M.A. in Drama, 1977; M.M. in Accompanying, 1979). She has taught at Oakland University in Michigan, Jersey City State College in New Jersey, and Meredith College in North Carolina. A Cleveland native now based in Wake Forest, North Carolina, she serves on the Board of Trustees at Rollins College and received the Distinguished Alumna Award from both Rollins and the University of Miami Frost School of Music in 2021.
Why we love this
Albrecht and Althouse craft a piece that feels contemporary without sacrificing the warmth of spiritual tradition. The gospel-swing idiom gives your singers genuine rhythmic energy to sink into, while the incorporation of "This Little Light of Mine" connects to something your singers already know at a deep level. A piece this uplifting and flexible (appropriate for secular concerts, spring programs, and ceremonial moments alike) earns its space on the calendar every year.
What to expect
Warm, bright, and purposeful. The swing rhythm gives it forward motion and joy, while the connection to "This Little Light of Mine" brings a quiet depth that prevents it from feeling purely decorative. There's an openness in the harmonic language that feels inviting rather than demanding.
Who it's for
This piece serves mixed-age choirs, community ensembles, and educational choirs with singers at early-intermediate to intermediate levels. The straightforward 2-part writing makes it accessible, while the gospel idiom and text will resonate with singers who want music that feels current and meaningful.
How to get the most out of it
- Lean into the swing feel without losing clarity. The 2-part texture means every voice carries melodic responsibility, so rhythmic ensemble matters as much as pitch blend.
- Balance the traditional spiritual reference with the contemporary groove. The familiar tune should feel like a natural moment of revelation, not a separate segment.
- If using the recorded accompaniment, let singers hear it in rehearsal early so they can lock into the groove and understand how their parts sit in the fuller texture.
How to use it
Place this as a strategic change of pace in a concert heavy with classical or art song repertoire. Its uplifting message and flexible text make it equally at home in a spring concert, a community celebration, or a candle-lighting ceremony. The piece also works well as an encore or closing number when you want to send singers and audience home with something luminous.
Skills your students will build
- Swing rhythm interpretation and ensemble swing feel
- Gospel-influenced harmonic vocabulary and blue notes
- Balancing contemporary groove with traditional melodic material
- Call-and-response and rhythmic independence in 2-part texture