Festival Exsultate: SATB Choral Octavo
By Andy Beck
Item: 00-PO-0000944
$1.95
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Accented rhythms, spine-tingling sonorities, and a riveting add-on section create drama in this sophisticated choral, appropriate for concert, festival, and adjudication. Highlight the vocal skills of your best ensemble. A thrilling, edge-of-your-seat experience!
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
16
SKU:
00-PO-0000944
More about this title
About the Composer: Andy Beck
Andy Beck leads the choral publications program at Alfred Music, where he shapes the direction of one of the field's most extensive catalogs. His compositional output exceeds 450 works for singers of all ages, alongside widely adopted pedagogical resources including Sing at First Sight, Foundations in Choral Sight Singing, and Vocalize! 45 Vocal Warm-Ups That Teach Technique. His music reaches choirs across continents, and he regularly adjudicates, conducts, and clinics for music educators nationwide.
Beyond his publishing leadership, Beck remains an active tenor and musical theatre performer with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir. He holds degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College and Northwest Missouri State University, and has served as an Alfred studio singer since 1992. His work as a commissioned composer and guest conductor for honor choirs and all-state ensembles reflects his sustained commitment to choral artistry and music literacy at every level.
Why we love this
Beck writes for the strengths your singers actually possess, and this piece demands they shine. The rhythmic propulsion and layered sonorities create genuine concert impact without relying on vast ranges or extreme difficulty, making it an ideal vehicle for adjudication or festival settings where precision and musical maturity matter more than flash.
What to expect
Festival Exsultate builds tension through propulsive rhythms and unexpected harmonic turns, then releases into moments of crystalline vocal beauty. The added section arrives like a sudden gasp of air, transforming the drama into something larger and more insistent than what came before.
Who it's for
Directors preparing advanced high school or college choirs for concert and festival performance will find this piece rewarding for ensembles ready to tackle rhythmic sophistication and vocal blend. It suits singers who have developed clear diction, steady breath control, and the maturity to serve the music rather than impose ego on it.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock in the rhythmic spine early. These accented figures drive the entire architecture, so isolate them during warm-up by singing just the pulse and accent patterns before adding pitch.
- Build the sonority gradually through rehearsal. The spine-tingling effect comes from blend and balance, not volume; use sectionals to shape individual lines so they sit cleanly within the four-part texture.
- Prepare the add-on section as a distinct moment. Give singers a breath and mental reset before this material, and bring it in with fresh energy and slightly increased intensity to justify its dramatic function.
- Attend to vowel consistency across the ensemble. The sustained chords and dramatic moments depend on unified vowel color, especially in the sopranos and altos where the impact is most exposed.
How to use it
This works brilliantly as a centerpiece for a concert devoted to contemporary sacred music, or as a showcase piece in a festival program where your ensemble's precision and tonal control can compete effectively. Pair it with something liturgical or contemplative to frame its dramatic intensity by contrast.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing accented rhythmic patterns within four-part harmony
- Blend and balance across SATB sections during sustained, sonorous passages
- Dynamic control and dramatic pacing in longer phrases
- Ensemble unity across contrasting textural and harmonic material