Esta Es el Tiempo: SATB Choral Octavo

Althouse crafts genuine multicultural repertoire that avoids tokenism. The English and Spanish blend feels organic rather than forced, the rhythmic energy is infectious without relying on tired stereotypes, and your singers will actually want to perform this piece because it's genuinely fun. It fits seamlessly into spring concerts or any program celebrating world music without requiring elaborate staging, though the movement possibilities let you go as creative as your ensemble's comfort level allows.

Rhythmically buoyant and warm, with a conversational quality that invites the audience into a celebration rather than presenting it from a distance. The interplay of Spanish and English feels like two friends harmonizing their perspectives, creating momentum that pulls singers and listeners forward together.

SATB choirs at the high school and community levels looking for accessible, energetic repertoire that celebrates cultural diversity authentically. This works equally well for festival preparation, spring concerts, or any program where you want singing that feels alive and performed with genuine pleasure rather than polished precision.

• Establish the groove early in rehearsal by tapping the basic pulse while singers learn their parts. The rhythmic vitality depends on everyone feeling the heartbeat, not just marking time.
• Treat the Spanish and English sections as equally authentic voices. Avoid the tendency to treat Spanish lyrics as decoration; both languages deserve full rhythmic and textual clarity.
• Layer in the movement vocabulary gradually. Even modest gestures (shoulder rolls, step touches) amplify the piece's joy without requiring choreography skills from your director.
• Balance the recorded accompaniment volume so singers hear themselves clearly during early rehearsals. As confidence builds, you can blend the recording more fully into the overall sound.

Position this in your spring concert as an audience pleaser between heavier works, or use it as your closer if you want to send the audience out smiling. It also programs naturally with other multicultural or contemporary selections, and the moderate length makes it useful as a festival piece or workshop demonstration.

• Rhythmic precision in syncopated patterns
• Bilingual diction (Spanish and English phonetic clarity)
• Balance and blend when melodic lines cross between voice parts
• Expressive interpretation using text painting and cultural awareness
• Coordinate singing with movement cues