Hummingbird: 2-Part Choral Octavo

Name: Hummingbird: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-46597
Price: 2.05 USD
Availability: InStock

Words and music by Sally K. Albrecht

Item: 00-46597

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With a vocal range of just an octave and highly independent parts, this charming piece is ideal for singers new to harmony. The playful vocal lines are a delight to sing as they imitate the zigzag flight patterns of the hummingbird. Don't miss the ostinato section that stacks into an impressive, yet accessible, four parts. This one really hits the mark for outstanding children's choir repertoire.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Hummingbird: 2-Part 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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Series: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 12

UPC: 038081531724

SKU: 00-46597

More about this title

About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht has built a remarkable career as a composer and conductor with deep roots in American choral education. Since earning her degrees from Rollins College, the University of Miami, and conducting festivals nationwide, she has authored over 600 choral works and 75 full-length musicals and songbooks. An ASCAP award recipient every year since 1987, she spent more than thirty years leading publication efforts at major educational music publishers, including Alfred Music, while also teaching at universities across the country.

Albrecht's signature approach integrates choral movement and theatrical expression into her compositions, making her work particularly valuable for young singers and developing choirs. Her clinical work and festival conducting have taken her to prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center. She holds the Distinguished Alumna Award from both the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Rollins College, where she serves on the Board of Trustees.

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Why we love this

Albrecht writes with an intuitive grasp of what children's voices can accomplish without strain. The zigzag melodic writing mirrors the hummingbird's movement so directly that singers visualize the music rather than simply reading it, which deepens engagement and musicality. The ostinato section that expands to four parts gives every voice a sense of growth and accomplishment while staying well within accessible ranges.

What to expect

Light, playful, and full of motion. The zigzagging vocal lines create an almost visual shimmer that mirrors the whirrr of hummingbird wings. By the ostinato section, singers discover that their separate lines weave into something luminous and bigger than any single part.

Who it's for

This octavo works beautifully for developing choirs encountering harmony for the first time. The one-octave range keeps the piece comfortable for singers with limited vocal control, while the clearly independent parts build confidence in reading parts rather than following an external line.

How to get the most out of it

Encourage singers to trace the flight pattern of each melodic line with their hand while singing to internalize the zigzag contour and build confidence in the independent parts.
Keep the ostinato section rhythmically tight by isolating each voice part during rehearsal before layering them; the impressive effect depends on precision.
Use the recorded accompaniment to establish tempo and harmonic support early, freeing rehearsal time to focus on diction and part independence.
Shape the phrases with gentle dynamic swells to suggest the hummingbird's darting, weightless movement rather than singing with consistent volume.

How to use it

This piece energizes a concert program when placed mid-set, providing visual and harmonic contrast to heavier repertoire. It also holds its own at contest festivals, where its accessibility and clear musical intent impress judges while its playful character showcases your choir's personality.

Skills your students will build

Singing in two independent parts within a limited octave range
Reading and maintaining a melodic line that moves in angular, unexpected directions
Layering ostinato patterns and managing part independence as the texture expands
Connecting musical narrative (the hummingbird's flight) to vocal shape and phrasing