Gifts: SSA Choral Octavo

Name: Gifts: SSA Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-47713
Price: 2.05 USD
Availability: InStock

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

Item: 00-47713

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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.”

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Series: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 12

UPC: 038081544069

SKU: 00-47713

More about this title

About the Composer: Victor C. Johnson

Victor C. Johnson, based in Dallas, Texas, has established himself as a leading voice in choral music education through his work as School Choral Editor for Sing!, the publishing arm of Choristers Guild. His catalog includes over 500 published compositions and arrangements spanning choral works, vocal solos, and keyboard collections.

From 2000 to 2018, Johnson directed choral ensembles at Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, where he led the Academy Singers and Academy Men's Choir while serving as Artistic Director for both the Singing Girls of Texas and Children's Choir of Texas. Since August 2022, he has conducted the Dallas Symphony Children's Chorus Mixed Ensemble, working with high school students in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's resident youth program. He holds membership in the American Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Educators Association, ASCAP, and other professional organizations.

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Why we love this

Johnson's setting respects the integrity of Teasdale's text by placing it front and center through clear homophonic writing, yet the harmonic suspensions and flexible phrasing reveal layers of emotional complexity that reward repeated rehearsal. This is exactly the kind of piece that deepens a choir's connection to poetry while remaining genuinely singable for SSA ensembles at various levels.

What to expect

Intimate and reflective, this setting invites singers and listeners into a quiet conversation about what love actually gives us. The piece moves through moments of tenderness and acceptance, with harmonic warmth that feels earned rather than sentimental.

Who it's for

SSA choirs seeking repertoire that combines lyrical beauty with genuine poetic substance. This works equally well for high school treble choirs, community ensembles, and collegiate women's groups looking for concert or festival material with literary depth.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the homophonic passages with subtle dynamic and tonal shifts tied to the text's emotional arc rather than trying to hide imperfect unison. The poetry itself guides where tension and release should live.
Honor the scattered suspensions by allowing them space to breathe. These moments are Johnson's way of highlighting the vulnerability embedded in Teasdale's meditation on love.
Approach the tempo fluctuations as a natural response to the text's pacing rather than as technical markings to execute mechanically. What does each phrase need to say?

How to use it

Pair this with other love songs that explore adult emotional terrain, or program it alongside other works set to Sara Teasdale's poetry for a cohesive thematic concert. Its lyrical focus and modest technical demands make it suitable for both all-female concert programs and mixed repertoire sets where it can provide textual contrast to larger choral works.

Skills your students will build

Singing sustained homophonic textures with clear diction and unified vowel sounds
Interpreting harmonic suspensions and understanding how they shape emotional expression
Managing flexible tempo and phrase shaping in response to poetic text rather than metronomic precision
Building sensitivity to literary content and how musical choices amplify textual meaning