Home to Stay: SSA Choral Octavo
By Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0000093
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Reminiscent of folk songs from the British Isles, this choral gem has a touching text: "I've traveled and I've wandered...but I'll be coming home to stay." Especially appropriate for spring concerts or graduation time, when thoughts are turned to moving on, yet not wanting to let go.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0000093
More about this title
About the Composer: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse studied music education and music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he later received the Distinguished Alumni award. He spent eight years in music publishing as a rights and licenses administrator and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America during his tenure.
With over 800 choral compositions in print, Althouse has established himself as a prolific voice in choral music education. He holds ASCAP membership and regularly receives the ASCAP Special Award for his compositional output. Beyond composition, he has collaborated with his wife Sally K. Albrecht on children's musicals and vocal collections, contributed to pedagogical resources like The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers, and served on the boards of the North Carolina Master Chorale and the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.
Why we love this
Althouse captures the bittersweet emotion of transition without sentimentality. The folk melody sits naturally in SSA voices, and the text resonates authentically at graduation or spring concerts when students are genuinely grappling with change and belonging.
What to expect
The melody unfolds with the unhurried quality of a traditional folk song, grounded and familiar. There is wistfulness in the harmonic movement, a recognition that moving forward and coming home are not opposites but parts of the same journey.
Who it's for
SSA choirs at the high school level and beyond who are looking for a piece with genuine emotional weight tied to real-world transitions. This works equally well for concert choirs seeking spring programming as for ceremony moments where the text carries particular meaning.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the melody with gentle phrasing that supports the emotional arc of leaving and returning; resist the urge to oversell the sentiment.
- Balance the harmonic layers so the soprano line remains audible while the lower voices anchor the folk character.
- Let the British Isles influence guide your interpretation toward a warm, conversational tone rather than a formal or theatrical one.
How to use it
Position this as an anchor piece for a spring concert focused on transitions, growth, or celebration. It pairs well with lighter material earlier in the program and leaves audiences with a reflective, hopeful mood. The text makes it especially powerful when programmed near senior nights or as a closing piece for graduation events.
Skills your students will build
- Singing lyrical legit phrases that honor a folk melody's simplicity
- Balancing melodic independence across three voice parts in close harmony
- Connecting emotional intent to vocal expression without oversinging