For the Children: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Music by Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0003957
$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-0003957
More about this title
About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht
Sally K. Albrecht has shaped choral music education for decades, both as a prolific composer and as a longtime director of publications at major music publishers. Her catalog exceeds 600 choral works alongside 75 larger-scale songbooks and musicals, and she has earned the ASCAP Special Music Award annually since 1987. She brings distinctive experience as a conductor and clinician, having led honor choirs at prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center.
Albrecht holds degrees from Rollins College (B.A. in Music and Theater), the University of Miami (M.A. in Drama and M.M. in Accompanying), and has taught at Oakland University, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College. She is a former Chair of the Board of Trustees for Omicron Delta Kappa and in 2021 received the Distinguished Alumna Award from both the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Rollins College. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, composer and arranger Jay Althouse.
Why we love this
The arc of this piece mirrors a perfect environmental advocacy moment for young singers: it opens and closes with vulnerable solo space, but the heart of the work delivers a clear, powerful message with the full choir engaged. The comfortable ranges and straightforward 2-part texture mean every student can access the material without distraction, leaving room for genuine expression of the song's purpose.
What to expect
The song wraps intimate reflection around a bold central statement. You begin in quietness and individual vulnerability, build into collective urgency with a message that resonates, then dissolve back into that tender, solitary space. It feels like standing together while also standing alone.
Who it's for
This piece works perfectly for middle school, high school, or community choirs ready to tackle a piece with environmental and social relevance. The 2-part voicing keeps the technical demands manageable while the message and musicality offer real substance, making it ideal for singers who are developing both their voice and their awareness of music's power to communicate.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the opening solo with intimacy and restraint; it sets the emotional stakes for the build that follows.
- Bring the central message into sharp relief through dynamic contrast. The choir's entrance should feel like a collective awakening rather than a sudden volume spike.
- Balance the instrumental parts so they support rather than overshadow the text. The recorded accompaniment can help singers lock the groove if your ensemble needs rhythmic stability.
- Rehearse the final solo return as a mirror of the opening. Soft does not mean timid; singers should sustain their support so the conclusion lands with quiet conviction.
How to use it
Program this in the spring, especially around Earth Day or during a concert themed to social responsibility and environmental action. Its emotional shape and accessible scoring make it a natural anchor point for a set of songs about shared values, or it can stand powerfully as a single statement between more traditional repertoire.
Skills your students will build
- Dynamic control in soft singing, especially sustaining tone and energy at low volumes
- Building and releasing tension through strategic dynamic phrasing
- Balancing individual voice (solo sections) with ensemble responsibility
- Text clarity and emotional commitment to a message-driven piece
- Blend and balance between 2-part voices