For the Children: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo
Music by Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0003956
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
This piece opens with a quiet optional solo for any voice, builds with a powerful message ("We must do it for the children: save the earth.") then ends as gently and quietly as it began, with another optional solo. Ranges are comfortable for all parts. InstruPax includes: director's score, 2 trumpets, alto sax, trombone [opt. tenor sax], rhythm.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0003956
More about this title
About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht
Sally K. Albrecht brings three decades of experience shaping choral music for educational settings, having directed school choral publications at major music publishers and served as clinician at some of America's most prestigious venues, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center. Her prolific output—over 600 choral pieces and 75 musicals and songbooks—reflects her deep commitment to making music accessible and engaging for student singers. She has taught at Oakland University, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College, and has been recognized annually by ASCAP for her contributions since 1987.
Albrecht holds degrees from Rollins College (B.A. in Music and Theater, 1976), the University of Miami (M.A. in Drama, 1977; M.M. in Accompanying, 1979), and is known especially for her work integrating choral movement into performance. She served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Omicron Delta Kappa and received the organization's "Pillar of Leadership" award. In 2021, both the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Rollins College honored her with Distinguished Alumna awards.
Why we love this
Albrecht and Althouse have crafted a piece with genuine emotional arc: the quiet opening solo draws listeners in, the urgent message about environmental stewardship lands powerfully in the middle, and the gentle return to stillness leaves students and audiences thinking rather than applauding loudly. The optional solos create natural opportunities for solo voices to shine while keeping accessibility paramount for mixed choirs still building confidence at the 3-part level.
What to expect
The music wraps you in quiet reflection, then builds to an urgent, heartfelt plea for the planet, then settles back into contemplative calm. It strikes a balance between accessibility and sincerity, avoiding preachy sentimentality while still letting the environmental message resonate genuinely with singers and listeners.
Who it's for
This piece serves choirs at the SAB or 3-part mixed level who are ready for a contemporary piece with real musical substance and a meaningful environmental message. It works equally well for middle school, high school, or adult community choirs seeking a secular springtime or Earth Day offering that won't feel condescending to mature singers.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the dynamic journey carefully. The opening solo should feel intimate and unrushed; let the choir's crescendo toward the main message feel purposeful and building, then guide singers back to that quiet, reflective quality at the end rather than rushing the final solo.
- Balance the ensemble parts with the optional solos. If using soloists, rehearse them separately so they understand how their lines frame the fuller choral section, then integrate them back in to hear how the entire emotional arc unfolds.
- Work the recorded accompaniment strategically during rehearsal to anchor the rhythm section parts, then gradually reduce reliance on it as the choir internalizes the groove and can support the soloists independently.
How to use it
Program this for an Earth Day concert or spring concert finale, where its call-to-action message can anchor an entire thematic program. It also pairs well on programs celebrating student voices and environmental awareness; the optional solos mean you can feature developing singers without requiring advanced technique, freeing you to showcase courage rather than perfection.
Skills your students will build
- Shaping dynamic arcs across a full piece (quiet to loud to quiet again)
- Balancing solo and ensemble textures in mixed voicings
- Ensemble blend and balance in SAB writing with limited ranges
- Connecting text to musical expression for contemporary environmental themes
- Rhythmic independence when supported by recorded or live rhythm section