Gifts: SATB Choral Octavo

Name: Gifts: SATB Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-47712
Price: 2.05 USD
Availability: InStock

Words by Sara Teasdale, music and additional words by Victor C. Johnson

Item: 00-47712

Need it now?

Buy Digital Version

$2.05

Shipped

One moment…

Sara Teasdale's poignant commentary on the challenges and rewards of love is the foundation of this sensitive choral setting. Strong homophonic writing puts a focus on the words, while scattered harmonic suspensions and gentle ebbs and flows of tempo invite a deep understanding of the text. “These are the gifts of love.”

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Gifts: SATB Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.

Series: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 12

UPC: 038081544052

SKU: 00-47712

More about this title

About the Composer: Victor C. Johnson

Victor C. Johnson has established himself as one of the most prolific voices in contemporary choral music, with over 500 compositions and arrangements currently published. A Dallas native, he served as choral director at Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts from 2000 through 2018, where he led multiple ensembles including the Academy Singers and the Singing Girls of Texas. His work earned him national recognition within the American Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and other professional organizations.

In his current role as School Choral Editor for Sing!, Johnson continues to shape the landscape of educational choral literature. Since 2022, he has also conducted the Dallas Symphony Children's Chorus Mixed Ensemble, a position that reflects his ongoing commitment to developing young musicians. His catalog spans secular and sacred works, vocal solos, and keyboard music, making him a trusted composer for directors seeking thoughtful, singable literature.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

Johnson's setting respects Sara Teasdale's text so thoroughly that the music serves the words rather than overshadowing them. The homophonic writing clarity combined with those carefully placed harmonic suspensions creates a work that sounds both accessible and genuinely moving, making it equally at home in a concert or festival setting without requiring singers to navigate unnecessary technical barriers.

What to expect

Intimate and reflective, this setting unfolds like a quiet conversation about the paradoxes of love. The homophonic texture makes every word land clearly, while the harmonic suspensions and tempo shifts lend sophistication without emotional distance.

Who it's for

This piece suits any SATB choir performing at the intermediate to advanced level. It works beautifully for choirs building confidence with more lyrical, text-driven repertoire and for singers who need focused work on phrase shaping and harmonic awareness.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the phrase contours with the tempo fluctuations Johnson has marked; resist the urge to lock into a single speed, as the gentle ebbs and flows are essential to drawing out the emotional weight of Teasdale's language.
Balance the harmonic suspensions by allowing the lower voices to land clearly on their resolutions; this creates the exact moment of emotional arrival the composer intends.
Emphasize the vowel shapes across the sustained sections to maintain line integrity and prevent the homophonic texture from becoming static.

How to use it

Program this as a concert centerpiece or festival selection where you want serious musical engagement without extended runtime. Pair it with either lighter selections to provide emotional context or with other poetry-based works to create a thematic arc around love, relationships, or vulnerability.