Folk Songs for Solo Singers, Vol. 2 (High Voice): Digital Audio Download

$16.99 USD

Folk Songs for Solo Singers, Vol. 2 (High Voice): Digital Audio Download

14 Folk Songs Arranged for Solo Voice and Piano... For Recitals, Concerts, and Contests

Compiled and ed. Jay Althouse

Item: 00-AA-0000270

$16.99

Digital Download

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1 01 The Water Is Wide --:--

2 02 Cindy --:--

3 03 All Through the Night --:--

01 The Water Is Wide

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Series: For Solo Singers

Publisher: Alfred Music

SKU: 00-AA-0000270

More about this title

About the Composer: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni award. Early in his career, he spent eight years managing rights and licenses for a major educational publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. His work as a composer has produced over 800 choral compositions performed regularly across the English-speaking world, and he is a writer member of ASCAP, a frequent recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his contributions to standard music.

Beyond composition, Althouse has compiled and arranged numerous respected vocal solo collections, co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, and authored several classroom resources including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book, Accent on Composers, Ready to Read Music, and One-Page Composer Bios. He co-wrote I Hear America Singing, performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. Active in his community and the broader folk music world, he has served on the board of the North Carolina Master Chorale and currently sits on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.

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Why we love this

Althouse's arrangement choices honor folk traditions while opening up each song for expressive, individually styled interpretation. The collection pairs carefully selected material with the kind of musical substance that makes these pieces rewarding to coach and genuinely engaging for audiences, not just competent fillers in a recital program.

What to expect

These folk arrangements breathe with the simplicity and emotional directness of their sources while maintaining harmonic sophistication that keeps both singer and listener engaged. Genuine melodies paired with thoughtful accompaniments create an intimate musical conversation rather than a display piece.

Who it's for

High voice singers preparing recital repertoire who want authentic, musically substantial arrangements of beloved folk material. Solo singers in middle school through adult levels will find these pieces accessible yet worthy of serious musical preparation and performance.

How to get the most out of it

Listen closely to how the accompaniment establishes the harmonic and rhythmic foundation, then find your own phrasing that complements rather than fights that support.
Pay attention to the text and story of each folk song; let the narrative arc shape your dynamic choices and emotional trajectory across the entire piece.
Experiment with the folk idiom's natural flexibility in rhythm and rubato, particularly at phrase endings, to capture the spontaneity that gives these melodies their enduring appeal.
Work the accompaniment recording at different tempos during rehearsal to discover where the song feels most natural in your voice, then lock that tempo for consistent performance.

How to use it

Build a recital around these pieces by pairing them with art songs or other vocal literature to create programming that spans styles and storytelling traditions. Folk songs from this collection work particularly well as accessible bridges between more challenging contemporary or classical works, giving audiences (and singers) moments of recognition and warmth.