Great Day!: SATB Choral Octavo
Traditional Spiritual / arr., with additional words, by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0001563
$1.95
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
"Great Day, the righteous marching." This rousing, masterful arrangement drives with fortitude and martial energy. Features two solos and optional percussion. Snare drum part included, or download free snare drum, bass drum, and cymbal parts at alfred.com/choralparts.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
16
SKU:
00-PO-0001563
More about this title
About the Arranger: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse studied music education and music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he later received the Distinguished Alumni award. His career spans both administrative work in educational music publishing, where he served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America, and prolific composition; he has more than 800 choral works in print performed regularly across the English-speaking world.
As a writer member of ASCAP, Althouse is a frequent recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his compositions. Beyond his choral output, he has co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, compiled respected vocal solo collections, and authored classroom resources including Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. His choral work "I Hear America Singing," co-written with Albrecht, was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. He has served on the board of the North Carolina Master Chorale and currently advises the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.
Why we love this
Althouse captures the forward momentum of this spiritual with driving harmonic support and strategic dynamic pushes that keep energy high without demanding extreme technical difficulty. The two solo opportunities allow you to feature singers at different voice ranges, and the optional percussion parts (easily downloaded) give ensembles flexibility in how they shape the piece's martial character.
What to expect
Purposeful and unstoppable. The piece moves like a procession, with voices layered in a way that builds collective strength rather than individual complexity. There's joy in the righteous declaration and solidity in the harmonic foundation.
Who it's for
SATB choirs seeking a spiritual arrangement with accessible ranges and straightforward part-writing that still commands the room. This works equally well for high school choirs, college groups, and community ensembles that want repertoire with rhythmic character and spiritual depth without extensive rehearsal demands.
How to get the most out of it
- Keep the pulse steady and grounded in the rhythm section; this piece thrives on relentless forward motion, so slight hesitations in the beat will deflate the energy.
- Balance the two solos so they feel like they're pulling the ensemble forward rather than stepping out from it; they're part of the momentum, not a pause in it.
- If you're using percussion, make sure the snare drum part locks with the lower voices; download the free parts from alfred.com/choralparts to match the arrangement's intended rhythmic drive.
- Approach phrase endings with care; resist the urge to release and breathe between every phrase, as this arrangement benefits from connected singing that mirrors its marching quality.
How to use it
Pair this with other spirituals or sacred works to create a focused concert set, or use it as a finale to a varied program where its fortitude and brightness can send audiences out energized. It also works as an effective season opener, establishing ensemble confidence and ensemble unity early in rehearsals.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining rhythmic precision in a driven tempo without rushing
- Balancing solo and ensemble textures within a single piece
- Interpreting spiritual style and cultural context
- Coordinating with optional percussion parts
- Building harmonic awareness through layered SATB writing