If You Love Me: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo
Words and music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0005492
$1.90
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
Pickup currently not available
Related Items
If You Love Me: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo |
$1.90
|
View |
Description
This emotive a cappella work radiates sincerity and musicality. The text is based on a 19th-century Pennsylvanian German marriage fraktur, which is a kind of decorative calligraphy that commemorates important life events. Filled with lush contemporary chords and expressive nuances, this exceptional piece encourages artistry.
If You Love Me: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0005492
More about this title
About the Composer: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni award. His extensive background includes eight years as a rights and licenses administrator for a major educational music publisher, during which he served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, he has more than 800 choral works in print across all levels, performed widely throughout English-speaking countries. He is a writer member of ASCAP and a consistent recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his compositions.
Beyond his prolific composing career, Althouse has co-created children's musicals with his wife Sally K. Albrecht, compiled respected vocal solo collections including Folk Songs for Solo Singers, and co-authored widely used resources such as The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers. His educational publications for the classroom include Ready to Read Music, Sixty Music Quizzes, and One-Page Composer Bios. He co-wrote I Hear America Singing, which was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Barack Obama's Inauguration in 2009. Althouse currently serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America and contributes articles to its quarterly publication.
Why we love this
This piece draws from genuine historical material, a 19th-century Pennsylvanian German marriage fraktur, giving it a sense of authenticity and cultural weight that elevates a simple love text into something timeless. Althouse's sophisticated harmonic language brings emotional depth without requiring advanced vocal technique, making it accessible to strong high school choirs and collegiate singers alike. The a cappella format and concert-ready polish make it equally compelling for festival programming or intimate recital settings.
What to expect
Warm, heartfelt, and graceful. The contemporary harmonic language creates unexpected moments of tenderness that feel both modern and timeless. This is music that asks singers to sing with genuine emotion while maintaining musical sophistication.
Who it's for
This octavo suits SATB choirs with intermediate to advanced sight-reading and blend skills. Contest and festival singers will find it rewarding; the piece balances artistic expression with performance excellence that judges recognize.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the lush harmonies by bringing out inner voices on vulnerable passages; these chords only resonate fully when every line is heard.
- Let silence be part of your interpretation. The expressive nuances written into this score ask for deliberate pacing and breathing space between phrases.
- Approach intonation as a tuning challenge specific to contemporary harmony. Schedule sectional rehearsals that isolate sustained chord progressions so voices can lock in together.
- Lean into the sincerity of the text by rehearsing without over-analyzing the music first; encourage singers to connect emotionally to the marriage fraktur's sentiment before polishing technique.
How to use it
Pair this with other intimate a cappella works to create a focused recital segment, or program it as a concert centerpiece that showcases your choir's blend and musicality. Its connection to folk tradition and historical text makes it especially fitting for programs exploring cultural heritage or American music.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining pitch and tuning within contemporary harmonic progressions
- Balancing blend across four voices with emphasis on inner voice clarity
- Phrasing and breathing in a cappella contexts without instrumental support
- Interpreting expressive nuances and text painting in secular choral literature