If I Can Sing Cover Image

If I Can Sing: 2-Part / SSA Choral Octavo

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If I Can Sing Cover Image
If I Can Sing: 2-Part / SSA Choral Octavo

If I Can Sing: 2-Part / SSA Choral Octavo

Words by Sara Teasdale, music by Lon Beery

Item: 00-47689
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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: 2-Part / SSA 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: 8
UPC: 038081543826
SKU: 00-47689

More about this title

About the Composer: Lon Beery

Lon Beery

Lon Beery directs the choral program at Spry Middle School in Webster, New York, where he works with six choirs comprising 500 students. His published works appear in the catalogs of Alfred Music, BriLee, and other major choral publishers, and his compositions have earned multiple ASCAP Standard Awards.

Beery's TTBB composition I Believe was performed by the U.S. Army Chorus at President Ronald Reagan's internment service. Beyond composing and arranging, he contributes to the profession through articles in the Choral Journal and Music Educators Journal, conference presentations at state and national ACDA and MENC conferences, and service as the Middle School Chair for New York ACDA.

Why we love this

Beery writes choral music that respects young singers' voices while asking for genuine artistry. The harmonic palette here shifts beautifully without demanding excessive range or stamina, and the adaptable voicings mean you can program this for singers at very different skill levels without sacrificing the emotional impact of Teasdale's words about artistic freedom.

What to expect

Teasdale's reflection on freedom through song unfolds through warm, shifting harmonies that feel introspective and intimate. The music respects the quiet strength of her words, creating moments of lush color without ever becoming heavy or overdone.

Who it's for

This octavo works for middle school and high school choirs seeking concert or festival repertoire that accommodates mixed ability levels. Directors managing choirs with limited sight-reading skills or younger singers will appreciate the accessibility of the 2-part voicing, while SSA voicing suits more advanced ensembles.

How to get the most out of it

  • Honor the poem's introspection by shaping phrases toward moments of quiet intensity rather than pushing volume throughout.
  • Attend carefully to the harmonic colors Beery creates; intonation clarity in the sustained chords will let those shifts resonate.
  • Use the recorded accompaniment to lock the harmonic foundation, then work sectionals on the melodic lines and inner voicing independently.
  • Balance the 2-part and SSA voicings during rehearsals so singers hear how the arrangement adapts without losing its emotional arc.

How to use it

Program this in a concert that explores poetry and song, pairing it with other literary texts set to music. Its concert and festival designation makes it an excellent choice for competition programming, where the emotional directness and harmonic sophistication will stand out among typical middle school octavos.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading SSA and 2-part voicings interchangeably
  • Sustaining legit tone in harmonic contexts with shifting chord qualities
  • Interpreting text expression within contemporary harmonic language
  • Balancing independence in part-singing while maintaining ensemble blend

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