Hush!: 3-Part Mixed/SAB Choral Octavo
Arr. Sally K. Albrecht
Item: 00-PO-0006510
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Sally Albrecht has taken the traditional spiritual "Hush," added a Christmas text, and hints of three carols ("Angels We Have Heard on High," "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly," and "Silent Night"), to create a new holiday masterpiece. It's available in editions for school and church choirs of every age and size. Easy, supportive piano accompaniment. Do not miss this stunning, touching, gentle choral work for Christmas. Linger on the "sh" of "hush" for a special vocal effect.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0006510
More about this title
About the Arranger: Sally K. Albrecht
Sally K. Albrecht has shaped choral music in American schools and churches for over four decades. She served as Director of School Choral, Vocal, and Elementary Publications for major educational music publishers, including Alfred Music, and has published more than 600 choral works alongside 75 larger musicals and songbooks. An ASCAP Special Music Award recipient every year since 1987, she has conducted honor choirs at prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center, and is recognized nationally for her innovative approach to choral movement and performance.
Albrecht holds degrees from Rollins College (B.A. in Music and Theater, 1976) and the University of Miami (M.A. in Drama, 1977; M.M. in Accompanying, 1979). She has taught at Oakland University in Michigan, Jersey City State College in New Jersey, and Meredith College in North Carolina. In recent years, she has received 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. She resides in Wake Forest, North Carolina, with her husband, composer and arranger Jay Althouse.
Why we love this
Albrecht weaves a spiritual foundation with recognizable Christmas carol melodies in a way that feels organic rather than patchwork. The arrangement respects the simplicity of "Hush" while elevating it through three-part writing that remains accessible to developing singers, and the piano accompaniment provides genuine support without overshadowing the voices. This is the kind of piece that lingers with audiences long after the concert ends.
What to expect
Calm and reverent, with moments of tender recognition as familiar carol phrases surface. The piece asks singers and listeners to slow down and pay attention to stillness rather than spectacle. It carries the quiet spiritual depth of its source material while opening toward the light of Christmas.
Who it's for
This octavo works beautifully for school and church choirs of mixed ages, from middle school through adult singers. The SAB voicing accommodates ensembles without strong soprano sections or with evolving adolescent voices, while remaining sophisticated enough for experienced choirs seeking understated holiday material.
How to get the most out of it
- Sustain the final consonant sound of "hush" deliberately; this extended "sh" creates the contemplative vocal color that defines the piece's character and gives singers time to breathe together.
- Balance the three parts so that the SAB texture remains transparent rather than dense, especially in moments where carol melodies emerge. Listen for independence in each line.
- Shape the gentle phrasing with the piano accompaniment rather than against it; the keyboard writing supports the choral narrative and should feel integrated, not separate.
How to use it
Program this as an anchor for a Christmas concert's contemplative section, perhaps pairing it with other sacred or spiritual selections. It also serves wonderfully as a choral benediction or closing piece, sending audiences out in a reflective mood rather than a festive rush.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining and shaping consonant sounds for expressive effect
- Singing in three-part SAB texture with independence and blend
- Recognizing and performing woven melodic themes within an arrangement
- Phrasing through piano accompaniment and responding to harmonic support
- Understanding sacred and secular holiday music traditions as part of one arrangement