Follow That Star: TB Choral Octavo

Althouse understands what treble and lower voice choirs need: writing that sounds impressive without requiring your singers to contend with complex harmonies. The modal harmonies and open intervals here create richness and festive color while remaining accessible, so your singers can focus on ensemble blend and the stately character of the processional rather than wrestling with intonation problems. Pairing it with optional SoundPax instrumentation gives you a flexible tool that works equally well in a concert setting or worship context.

Stately and luminous, this processional evokes the grandeur of a holiday or sacred procession without demanding technical virtuosity. The open intervals and modal harmonies create an almost medieval or folk-inspired warmth, a sound that feels both timeless and festive.

This octavo works for treble choirs, lower voice choirs, and mixed ensembles of intermediate ability. Whether your singers are returning to rehearsal after a break or building confidence in their harmonic independence, the accessible modal writing gives them immediate success without oversimplifying the musical impact.

• Let the modal harmonies breathe. Resist the urge to rush; the open intervals need space to ring clearly and establish the processional quality.
• Balance treble and lower voices carefully during the recording sessions and rehearsals. The octavo voicing options mean different voice counts may perform this, so adjust mic placement and blend checks accordingly.
• If using the recorded accompaniment, have your singers hear it in rehearsal early and often so the stately character informs their interpretation from the start.

Open your holiday concert or worship service with this piece to establish an impressive and serene tone before moving into other repertoire. Its processional nature makes it ideal for a sung entrance, and its 12-page length allows singers to settle into the acoustic and ensemble before tackling more complex material later in the program.

• Singing modal harmonies with confidence
• Blending open intervals and sustaining tone across wide leaps
• Maintaining processional character and steady tempo without rushing
• Balancing ensemble voices across TB/TTB/TBB/TTBB voicing options