Glorious Peace: SSAA, a cappella Choral Octavo
Words by John Parker, music by Patti Drennan
Item: 00-PO-0006397
$2.20
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
A syncopated opening riff in the lower voices lays the groundwork for this quintessential a cappella spiritual. When the other voices join, we begin a journey of texture, harmonic development, and form, indicative of the great spiritual tradition. Strong choral writing as the glorious piece unfolds.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
16
SKU:
00-PO-0006397
More about this title
About the Composer: Patti Drennan
Patti Drennan holds degrees in music education from Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. She spent 28 years directing choral music in Norman Public Schools, earning Teacher of the Year recognition and leading four consistently superior-rated choirs at Norman High School. The Oklahoma Choral Directors Association honored her with the Director of Distinction Award in 2004.
Now a prolific composer and arranger with over 425 published choral octavos and two million copies in circulation, Drennan has clinicized in 19 states and Canada, adjudicated regional choral contests, and hosted composer weekends for churches across North America. She served nearly a decade as music and worship arts director at First Baptist Church in Norman and continues to write, arrange, lead music reading sessions for publishers, and perform with her daughter Emily.
Why we love this
Drennan's handling of texture and harmonic development in this spiritual creates a piece that rewards careful rehearsal without demanding excessive complexity. The syncopated lower voice foundation gives your ensemble a rhythmic anchor while the arrival of upper voices provides genuine musical storytelling, making this accessible yet substantial repertoire for competitive festivals and concert programs.
What to expect
Glorious Peace opens with deliberate rhythmic energy in the lower voices before gradually revealing the full emotional weight of the piece through layered harmonic color. The trajectory builds from rhythmic clarity to lush ensemble resonance, capturing both the vitality and the contemplative beauty characteristic of the spiritual tradition.
Who it's for
This octavo suits developing SSAA choirs that are ready for a cappella work with textural sophistication and intermediate rhythmic demands. It works equally well for competitive festival seasons and concert programming centered on spiritual traditions and themes of peace.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the rhythmic integrity of the opening riff in the lower voices before layering additional parts; this syncopated foundation determines the ensemble's entire sense of forward motion.
- Shape the harmonic development through selective dynamic control in the inner voices rather than pushing volume uniformly across all four parts.
- Rehearse the transitions between textural sections separately to ensure smooth voice leading when the ensemble shifts from sparse to full writing.
- Honor the spiritual tradition by allowing space for resonance in sustained passages; resist the urge to cut off phrases prematurely.
How to use it
Program this piece in a set exploring sacred choral traditions or dedicate it to a concert centered on themes of reconciliation and brotherhood. Its compact 16-page length and a cappella format make it a flexible choice for church music festivals, regional competitions, or as a powerful conclusion to an evening of diverse choral literature.
Skills your students will build
- Rhythmic precision in syncopated figures across multiple voice parts
- A cappella intonation and blend across SSAA voicing
- Awareness of harmonic function and voice leading within spiritual idiom
- Textural listening and dynamic control in multilayered choral writing
- Stylistic understanding of the African American spiritual tradition