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How Can I Keep from Singing?: SATB <i>a cappella</i> Choral Octavo

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How Can I Keep from Singing? Cover Image
How Can I Keep from Singing?: SATB a cappella Choral Octavo

How Can I Keep from Singing?: SATB a cappella Choral Octavo

American Folk Hymn / arr. Kirby Shaw

Item: 00-43231
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Description
You've heard many arrangements of this beautiful American folk hymn, but none quite like this. Kirby Shaw's unique style brings out the inherent joy of the traditional text. Throughout the piece, contemporary a cappella techniques use sections of the choir as accompaniment, and a bright chord structure yields a current sound.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, How Can I Keep from Singing?: SATB a cappella Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081498508
SKU: 00-43231

More about this title

About the Arranger: Kirby Shaw

Kirby Shaw

Kirby Shaw's influence on choral music spans five decades and six continents. A DMA graduate in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington and a composition student at San Jose State University, Shaw has built his reputation on combining rigorous musicianship with infectious energy. He founded and directed the acclaimed COS Vocal Jazz Ensemble at College of the Siskiyous and went on to lead similar programs at Colorado State University and the University of Missouri at Kansas City. His work mentoring musicians includes one-on-one sessions with jazz luminaries such as Bobby McFerrin, Mark Murphy, and Al Jarreau.

With over 2,500 choral arrangements and compositions in print and nearly 20 million copies sold worldwide, Shaw's output has earned him multiple ASCAP awards and commissions from major ensembles including the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He currently directs the Jefferson State Choral Coalition at Southern Oregon University, where he lives with his wife Markita. Together they have created an original musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and Shaw performs regularly with Just 4 Kicks, a jazz-focused four-man a cappella ensemble.

Why we love this

Shaw takes one of America's most beloved hymn texts and reimagines it through a contemporary a cappella lens, letting choir sections do the work of instruments while maintaining the spiritual warmth that makes this tune enduring. The bright harmonic palette and rhythmic vitality feel fresh without obscuring what made people want to keep singing this melody in the first place. A program built around hope and resilience finds an authentic voice here.

What to expect

There's a lifting quality here, a sense of quiet determination that builds across the piece. Contemporary harmonic colors and rhythmic life keep the arrangement from settling into predictability, while the spiritual core of the text remains unshaken and utterly sincere.

Who it's for

Choirs with solid blend and intonation skills will thrive on this arrangement. It works equally well for high school ensembles at an advanced level, college and university groups, and community choirs seeking a cappella pieces with contemporary energy.

How to get the most out of it

  • Rehearse the internal accompaniment sections separately first. Once singers understand which voices create the harmonic framework, the full piece locks into place quickly.
  • Shape the phrase endings with slight dynamic dips rather than letting them fall flat. The contemporary sound Shaw creates relies on intelligent voice leading that stays visible even in softer moments.
  • Balance treble and lower voices so the chord structure reads clearly without any part getting buried. A cappella success here depends on every voice being heard as a fundamental, not a filler.

How to use it

Use this as an anchor piece in a concert exploring faith and resilience across different genres. Its modest length and a cappella format make it ideal for pairing with other brief sacred works or as a strong closing number that leaves audiences with something to carry home.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing internal harmonic accompaniment while maintaining accurate pitch and blend
  • Balancing chord tones and avoiding muddiness in a cappella context
  • Sustaining musical line through contemporary harmonic language
  • Shaping phrases with intention in the absence of instrumental support

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