Goin' to Bethlehem Cover Image

Goin' to Bethlehem: SATB, <I>a cappella</I> Choral Octavo

$2.05 USD
$2.05 USD
Skip to product information
Goin' to Bethlehem Cover Image
Goin' to Bethlehem: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo

Goin' to Bethlehem: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo

Words and music by Jay Althouse

Item: 00-19804
makemusic Cloud badge

Need it now?

Buy Digital Version
$2.05
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

Goin' to Bethlehem: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo

$2.05
View

Goin' to Bethlehem: SSAB, a cappella Choral Octavo

$2.25
View

Goin' to Bethlehem: TTBB, a cappella Choral Octavo

$2.25
View
Description
This exciting original Christmas spiritual by Jay Althouse opens with the men stating the rhythmic theme, followed by the middle voices and finally the sopranos. The three verses include much repetition but plenty of surprises-including a women's section contrasted by the men, and an optional high descant on the driving finish. A fresh new work that's solidly rooted in the classic spiritual traditions. An Althouse winner and a must for your holiday concerts! This title is available in Music Prodigy.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Goin' to Bethlehem: SATB, a cappella 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.
Sample Pages

Sample Audio
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081179704
SKU: 00-19804

More about this title

About the Composer: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus. He spent eight years working as a rights and licenses administrator for a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America during that tenure.

Althouse has established himself as a prolific composer with more than 800 choral works in print across all proficiency levels. His compositions are performed widely throughout the English-speaking world, and he holds membership in ASCAP, receiving the ASCAP Special Award multiple times for his contributions to standard music. Beyond composing, he has co-written children's musicals with his wife Sally K. Albrecht, edited vocal solo collections, co-authored influential books including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers, and written several reproducible classroom resources. He co-wrote I Hear America Singing, a choral work performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. Based in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Althouse serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.

Why we love this

Althouse crafts this spiritual with genuine stylistic architecture; the staggered entrance of the rhythmic theme across men, middle voices, and sopranos gives singers and audiences a clear sense of musical development rather than simply launching into harmony. The contrasts between sections (women's moment set against men, the optional high descant finale) break up what could have been repetitive material and give your ensemble compelling dramatic moments to shape.

What to expect

The piece pulses with the forward momentum of a spiritual, grounded in call-and-response traditions yet shaped with contemporary ensemble writing. The layered opening builds anticipation, and the rhythmic surprises throughout keep the work feeling fresh across multiple hearings.

Who it's for

Choirs at intermediate to advanced levels looking for an energetic, spiritually rooted holiday work that doesn't rely on familiar carols. Directors seeking Christmas repertoire with built-in dramatic architecture will find the sectional contrasts and optional descant offer engagement for both singers and audiences.

How to get the most out of it

  • Establish the rhythmic foundation in rehearsal by having the men perform their opening statement alone multiple times so the melodic-rhythmic identity becomes locked before adding layers.
  • Balance the optional high descant carefully; it should pierce through without sacrificing the driving energy of the full choir underneath it.
  • Use the women's section as an opportunity to showcase tonal independence; this moment of contrast will land more effectively if that ensemble has practiced separately with intentional vowel consistency.

How to use it

This work lands naturally in the second half of a holiday concert, where its contemporary spiritual character can energize the program after more traditional pieces. The optional descant gives you flexibility in finales; you can use it as a standalone closer or fold it into a larger Christmas arrangement segment.

Skills your students will build

  • Layered entrances and staggered voice parts (building ensemble awareness of independent lines)
  • Rhythmic precision in repetitive material with intentional variation
  • Sectional balancing (women's section versus men's section, optional descant against full choir)
  • Interpretation of spiritual style and rhythmic character

You May Also Like