For Everything There Is a Season: SSA Choral Octavo

Althouse brings fresh musical vocabulary to scripture that singers and audiences know intimately, avoiding sentiment while honoring the weight of the text. The SSA voicing opens this piece to mixed choirs at all levels, and the optional animated video projection transforms a concert performance into something visually compelling without overshadowing the singing. This is exactly the kind of literature that reminds people why they joined choir in the first place.

Contemporary harmonies ground this setting in the present moment while the text's ancient wisdom reverberates through thoughtful orchestration. The piece balances meditation with resilience, inviting singers into reflective vulnerability without asking them to perform vulnerability theatrically. There's an understated elegance here that speaks clearly.

Directors looking for repertoire that speaks to mixed choirs, whether advancing high school ensembles or community choirs with more experienced singers. This work appeals to singers seeking meaningful spiritual music that avoids predictability, and to audiences who respond to contemporary musical language applied to timeless words.

• Project the VideoTrax animated images on a large screen positioned where the choir can see cues without losing focus on the conductor. This transforms the piece into a multimedia experience that deepens emotional resonance.
• Balance the SSA texture so that soprano lines remain clear without dominating; the interplay of three voices creates warmth when each part can be heard.
• Recorded accompaniment is available separately. Use it to support rehearsals, especially when learning complex harmonic progressions, then transition to conducting live for performance to maintain flexibility and connection with the choir.
• Let the text shape your phrasing and dynamics rather than imposing architectural weight. This piece gains power from intimate expression, not volume.

Program this as a centerpiece for a concert built around spiritual themes, or place it alongside other contemporary sacred works to show how composers are engaging with faith and mortality in fresh language. Its 12 pages and SSA voicing make it accessible for mid-season programming when rehearsal time is limited but impact matters.

• Reading and sustaining contemporary harmonic language
• Balancing three independent voice parts with equal clarity
• Interpreting text expression in sacred music without relying on familiar melodic clichés
• Responding to visual cues (animated projection) while maintaining vocal focus and ensemble cohesion