Gloria Fanfare: SSATBB Choral Octavo
For General or Christmas Use
Words and music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0001354
$1.85
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Glorious choral writing is the key to this driving, contemporary setting. The perfect festival selection or opener for any concert, school or church, general or holiday (offers alternate lyrics for Christmas use). Some divisi.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0001354
More about this title
About the Composer: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he later received the Distinguished Alumni award. His career spans both publishing and composition; he spent eight years in rights and licensing administration at a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, Althouse has more than 800 choral works in print and is performed widely across English-speaking countries. He holds membership in ASCAP and is a regular recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his contributions to standard music.
Beyond composition, Althouse has collaborated with his wife Sally K. Albrecht on several children's musicals and co-authored influential choral pedagogy resources including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers. He compiled and edited well-regarded vocal solo collections and authored classroom reproducibles on music literacy and composer study. His collaborative work I Hear America Singing was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Barack Obama's 2009 Inauguration. Althouse serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America and resides in North Carolina.
Why we love this
Althouse brings contemporary energy to sacred choral writing without sacrificing accessibility. The piece opens strong enough to anchor a concert or festival slot, yet the alternate Christmas text makes it a versatile toolkit piece that earns its real estate in your folder year after year.
What to expect
A contemporary fanfare that opens with bright declaration and propels forward with driving rhythmic energy. The choral writing sits accessible for mixed ensembles while maintaining harmonic color through strategic divisi, creating a sense of celebration that feels earned rather than oversold.
Who it's for
Directors building a flexible festival or concert selection that bridges sacred and contemporary styles. This works equally well in school choirs, community ensembles, and church settings where you need a piece that feels current without alienating traditional audiences.
How to get the most out of it
- Build momentum through the verse sections by maintaining forward energy in the rhythm section, even where note values lengthen; this prevents the piece from settling into a static feeling.
- Balance the divisi passages carefully in rehearsal by having singers physically separated by part, then gradually blending once each line is secure and confident.
- Let the text articulation drive the rhythmic precision in the fanfare sections; crisp consonants on opening syllables will sharpen the piece's contemporary edge.
- If using the recorded accompaniment, rehearse without it first to build your choir's independence, then layer the tracks in final rehearsals to find the right balance with your ensemble's voice weight.
How to use it
Open a concert with this to set a confident, celebratory tone immediately. Its contemporary accessibility also makes it an ideal festival selection where you want to represent your choir's range beyond standard classical repertoire. The Christmas alternate text transforms it into a holiday programming option that stands apart from the traditional carol set.
Skills your students will build
- Reading SSATB voicing with strategic divisi writing
- Rhythmic precision in contemporary choral textures
- Balancing part independence with blend
- Text articulation and its role in rhythmic clarity
- Sight-reading contemporary harmonic language