How Can I Keep from Singing Cover Image

How Can I Keep from Singing: TTBB Choral Octavo

$1.60 USD
$1.60 USD
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How Can I Keep from Singing Cover Image
How Can I Keep from Singing: TTBB Choral Octavo

How Can I Keep from Singing: TTBB Choral Octavo

Arr. Bruce Trinkley

Item: 00-LG70748
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Additional Details
Series: Lawson-Gould
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 12
UPC: 783556023708
SKU: 00-LG70748

More about this title

About the Arranger: Bruce Trinkley

Bruce Trinkley

Bruce Trinkley conducts the Penn State Glee Club and serves as a professor in the School of Music at Penn State University, where he teaches composition and orchestration. His work as a conductor has taken the Glee Club on concert tours throughout the United States and internationally to England, Wales, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinkley studied composition at Columbia University under Otto Luening, Jack Beeson, and Charles Wuorinen. Beyond his academic role, he has composed extensively for theater, dance, and choral ensembles, with more than 200 arrangements of folk songs, spirituals, and popular songs to his credit. His original compositions have been performed across the United States, Europe, Australia, and China. Among his notable works are the chamber operas Eve's Odds and Cleo (winners of the National Opera Association's 1999 and 2001 Chamber Opera Competitions respectively), the cantata Last Voyage of Captain Meriwether Lewis, and the full-length opera York: the Voice of Freedom, which premiered at Penn State Opera Theatre.

Why we love this

Trinkley's deep experience arranging sacred music and folk material for men's voices brings maturity and musical intelligence to this beloved hymn. The flexible voicing options (TB, TTB, TBB, and TTBB) allow you to adapt the arrangement to your ensemble's size and ability without sacrificing musical integrity. You get the spiritual weight of the tune paired with tasteful voice leading that respects both the text and the singers.

What to expect

The tune carries a quiet resilience and gentle determination, expressing faith through simple, memorable melody. Trinkley's harmonization respects the hymn's earnest character while adding harmonic depth that gives singers something substantive to work with and audiences something moving to hear.

Who it's for

Men's choirs and mixed ensembles with male singers seeking a sacred work that sits comfortably within the range and ability of developing singers. Directors programming concerts that include American hymn traditions or looking for repertoire that balances accessibility with musical substance will find this a rewarding choice.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the phrases according to the text's meaning rather than mechanical regularity. The question 'How can I keep from singing?' calls for vocal directness and emotional honesty in the delivery.
  • Balance inner voices carefully. In a well-crafted arrangement, the harmonic foundation matters as much as the melody.
  • Consider the dynamic arc across the full piece. This arrangement likely builds and subsides with the text's spiritual journey, so track those peaks and valleys in rehearsal.

How to use it

Pair this with other American sacred or folk-based choral works to create a program exploring faith and cultural tradition. Its moderate length and accessible style also make it suitable for inclusion in a mixed repertoire concert that spans genres and styles.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing sustained, lyrical lines with consistent tone
  • Balancing part independence with blended ensemble sound
  • Interpreting text through dynamic and expressive choices
  • Reading and maintaining part accuracy across multiple voicing options

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