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If I Can Sing: SATB Choral Octavo

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If I Can Sing Cover Image
If I Can Sing: SATB Choral Octavo

If I Can Sing: SATB Choral Octavo

Words by Sara Teasdale, music by Lon Beery

Item: 00-47688
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Description
“If I can sing, I still am free.” Sara Teasdale's 1917 poem “Refuge” is certain to resonate with anyone who possesses an appreciation for singing. This lush setting plays out across a shifting palette of harmonic colors and choral textures, and is offered in wonderfully adaptable alternate voicings that address the needs of choirs at any level.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, If I Can Sing: SATB 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: 12
UPC: 038081543819
SKU: 00-47688

More about this title

About the Composer: Lon Beery

Lon Beery

Lon Beery directs six choral ensembles at Spry Middle School in Webster, New York, where he works with approximately 500 students across multiple voice levels. His compositional catalog includes over 50 published choral works distributed through Alfred Music, BriLee, and other publishers, and his work has earned multiple ASCAP Standard Awards for composition.

Beery's compositions have reached prominent performance contexts, including a TTBB setting performed by the U.S. Army Chorus at a state funeral. Beyond composing, he has contributed articles to the Choral Journal and Music Educators Journal, presented sessions at ACDA and MENC conferences at state and national levels, and currently serves as Middle School Chair for New York ACDA.

Why we love this

Beery writes with genuine understanding of what middle and high school choirs can accomplish, and this setting proves it. The harmonic palette shifts richly enough to keep singers and audiences engaged, yet the alternate voicings mean you're never forced to sacrifice musicality for accessibility. Sara Teasdale's affirmation about freedom and singing lands with quiet power when this piece is sung well.

What to expect

The piece unfolds with a contemplative warmth, shifting through harmonic colors that suggest both intimacy and resilience. Teasdale's assertion that singing preserves freedom emerges as both tender and quietly defiant, supported by textures that move between solo voices and full ensemble.

Who it's for

Middle school and high school choirs seeking a secular piece that feels substantial without excessive technical demands. Directors working with mixed-ability ensembles will appreciate the flexible voicing options that allow meaningful participation across a range of experience levels.

How to get the most out of it

  • Bring out the harmonic colors by attending to vowel shape across the shift from one harmonic area to the next; let small adjustments in resonance reflect the changing harmonic environment rather than forcing consistency.
  • Explore the recorded accompaniment first in rehearsal to establish the tempo and phrasing, then gradually reduce reliance on it as singers internalize their parts and the overall arc.
  • Honor the poetry by resisting the urge to rush; Teasdale's language about freedom and song deserves space to breathe, and the composition supports a slightly more expansive tempo than you might initially expect.

How to use it

This works beautifully as a centerpiece in a concert exploring how music relates to freedom and identity, pairing naturally with other secular art song settings or contemporary works. Its moderate length and emotional clarity also make it a strong choice for festival competition, where the harmonic sophistication and literary depth will impress both judges and audiences.

Skills your students will build

  • Moving between SATB and alternate voicing configurations
  • Responding to harmonic color shifts through vowel and resonance adjustment
  • Connecting poetic text and musical phrasing across phrase boundaries
  • Sustaining lyrical singing across sections with minimal textural support

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