I Can See the River Jordan Cover Image

I Can See the River Jordan: SATB Choral Octavo

$1.90 USD
$1.90 USD
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I Can See the River Jordan Cover Image
I Can See the River Jordan: SATB Choral Octavo

I Can See the River Jordan: SATB Choral Octavo

Words and music by Jay Althouse

Item: 00-45598
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Description
This sturdy original is composed in the style of a traditional spiritual. A symbolic text leads to crossing metaphoric River Jordan as the music recalls songs from early America. Opens with brief solos, builds to a hand clapping, almost a cappella bridge, and concludes only after full choral harmonies fade and voices unite on a single pitch.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081513379
SKU: 00-45598

More about this title

About the Composer: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse studied music education and music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he later received the Distinguished Alumni award. His career has spanned both administrative and creative work: he spent eight years managing rights and licensing for a major educational publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, he has more than 800 choral works in print and is recognized internationally, particularly in English-speaking countries.

Althouse is a member of ASCAP and has been a regular recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his compositions. Beyond choral music, he has co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, compiled respected vocal solo collections, and authored influential classroom resources including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers. He has also contributed articles to the Folk Art Messenger and served on boards including the North Carolina Master Chorale and the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.

Why we love this

Althouse captures the essence of the spiritual tradition without resorting to arrangement or pastiche. The structure itself teaches: opening solos draw listeners in, the hand-clapping bridge creates participatory energy, and the final unison fade demands attention and breath control. It's a piece that works equally well in a contest setting or a Sunday service, and it leaves audiences genuinely moved.

What to expect

The music unfolds like a journey of faith, rooted in the harmonic language and emotional directness of American spirituals. You hear echoes of early church singing and folk tradition, yet the piece feels entirely present, building from intimate testimony to communal affirmation and then resolving into a moment of profound quiet.

Who it's for

Choirs at intermediate to advanced levels who can sustain long tones, manage the expressive demands of solo lines, and understand the historical weight of spiritual traditions. Directors programming concert and festival repertoire will find this piece speaks authentically to diverse audiences.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the opening solos with clear character and flexibility; these establish the piece's conversational tone and invite the full choir to enter with purpose.
  • Treat the hand-clapping bridge as a rhythmic unison moment. Lock the body percussion to a steady pulse and let the near-cappella texture shine without forcing dynamics.
  • Reserve dynamic weight for the final full harmonies and the sustained unison pitch. The power comes from restraint and then release, not from driving hard throughout.

How to use it

This works beautifully as a centerpiece in a spirituals-themed concert or as a bridge between secular and sacred repertoire in a mixed program. Its eight pages make it substantial enough to anchor a set without overshadowing other selections, and the contest/festival designation suggests it holds its own in adjudicated settings.

Skills your students will build

  • Expressive solo singing within a choral context
  • Sustaining unison pitch with vocal blend and intonation
  • Rhythmic precision in ensemble hand percussion and body percussion
  • Dynamic control and phrasing over extended harmonic progressions
  • Familiarity with spiritual and folk idioms of American choral music

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