Great Day!: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

$27.99 USD

Great Day!: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Traditional Spiritual / arr., with additional words, by Jay Althouse

Item: 00-A-00015451

$27.99

Digital Download

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Series: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

SKU: 00-A-00015451

More about this title

About the Arranger: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni award. His eight years in rights and licensing for a major educational publisher gave him deep insight into what choirs need, a perspective that shapes his compositional voice across more than 800 published works for ensembles at every level.

As a composer, Althouse has earned multiple ASCAP Special Awards and sees his music performed regularly across the English-speaking world. Beyond his choral catalog, he has co-created children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, compiled widely-used vocal collections, and authored several classroom resources on music literacy and composer study. His involvement with the Folk Art Society of America reflects a lifelong commitment to preserving and reimagining traditional music for contemporary singers.

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Why we love this

Althouse arranges spirituals and traditional songs with a gift for honoring their roots while making them feel fresh and singable for modern choirs. The recorded accompaniment gives you flexibility to rehearse independently and lets singers hear the harmonic context clearly, which accelerates learning. This is the kind of arrangement that sounds warm and accessible in rehearsal but lands with genuine impact in performance.

What to expect

Great Day! carries the warmth and resilience rooted in spiritual traditions, with harmonies that feel both grounded in heritage and contemporary in sensibility. The arrangement allows singers to feel part of something larger than themselves, a shared musical experience that resonates with both performer and listener.

Who it's for

This arrangement works well for mixed choirs at all levels, from high school and community ensembles to church choirs seeking authentic spiritual literature. Directors programming a concert with African American musical traditions or assembling a spirituals set will find this a reliable, singable choice.

How to get the most out of it

Listen to the recorded accompaniment several times before rehearsing to absorb the harmonic and rhythmic foundation, then sing without it during rehearsal to build independence.
Encourage singers to connect emotionally with the spiritual tradition and text; this arrangement rewards expressive phrasing over technical precision.
Balance your parts carefully so the melody emerges clearly but supporting voices remain engaged and present.

How to use it

Pair this with other spirituals or folk arrangements to create a thematic set, or use it as a standalone moment of musical and emotional contrast within a mixed concert. It works equally well in sacred settings and secular programs where authentic representation of American musical tradition matters.