Gloria for All Seasons: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

$16.95 USD

Gloria for All Seasons: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Name: Gloria for All Seasons: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-17687
Price: 16.95 USD
Availability: InStock

Music by Jay Althouse

Item: 00-17687

$16.95

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A driving, festive choral composition appropriate for all seasons, including your December concerts. Exciting brass and timpani parts are optional or use the SoundTrax. Fresh sounding, yet straightforward choral writing. Excellent for any choir at any time of year. Powerful, for any choir, school or church. InstruPax Includes: director's score, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani.

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Series: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

UPC: 038081157276

SKU: 00-17687

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 was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni. His career spans both the publishing and composing sides of music; he spent eight years managing rights and licenses for a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. With more than 800 choral works in print, Althouse has become a prolific voice in American choral music, reaching performers across the English-speaking world.

As a writer member of ASCAP, Althouse is a consistent recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his standard compositions. Beyond composing, he has co-written children's musicals with his wife Sally K. Albrecht, edited widely used vocal solo collections, and authored instructional resources including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers. He served on the board of the North Carolina Master Chorale and currently sits on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.

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Why we love this

Althouse's gift is writing choral music that sounds ambitious without becoming unwieldy. The optional brass and timpani parts give your ensemble flexibility: add them for a powerful December concert statement, or build a solid choral arrangement using the recorded accompaniment alone. The piece works equally well as a festive opener or as something with genuine spiritual weight, depending on how you shape it.

What to expect

Gloria for All Seasons radiates celebration and warmth without sacrificing musical substance. The driving rhythm and bright sonority create an immediate sense of occasion, while the straightforward voice leading keeps the writing fresh and singable.

Who it's for

Any choir looking for a single piece that can anchor a December service or concert without requiring a full ensemble. This works equally well in schools, churches, and community choruses, and the flexible instrumentation means you can perform it whether or not you have brass players available.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the choral and brass elements during early rehearsals by having the choir sing alone first; this ensures the choral line remains the anchor before adding the optional instruments.
Take advantage of the SoundTrax to hear how the piece sits within a fuller texture; use it as a reference for tempo and style before rehearsing with live brass.
If your brass section is strong, allow the timpani part to ring clearly in the final climax; it's a moment designed to land with impact.
Shape the choral phrasing with the festive character in mind, but avoid letting the piece feel rushed; the excitement comes from precision and clarity, not speed.

How to use it

This piece serves as a natural centerpiece for Advent or Christmas programming, but its versatility means it can also open an Easter or spring concert with the same effectiveness. Consider pairing it with a quieter sacred work to showcase its energy as a high point in the program.