In Bethlehem Cover Image

In Bethlehem: SSAB, <I>a cappella</I> Choral Octavo

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In Bethlehem Cover Image
In Bethlehem: SSAB, a cappella Choral Octavo

In Bethlehem: SSAB, a cappella Choral Octavo

Words and music by Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse

Item: 00-39813
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Description
Celebrate the baby's birth in Bethlehem with this change-of-pace a cappella spiritual, set in a walking tempo with four optional percussion parts (available free at alfred.com/choralparts). Feel and hear the Christmas story come alive!

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, In Bethlehem: SSAB, a cappella 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: 038081444741
SKU: 00-39813

More about this title

About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht has shaped American choral music for decades as a composer, conductor, and clinician with a distinctive focus on integrating movement into choral performance. Her catalog exceeds 600 published works, along with 75 larger musicals and songbooks currently in circulation. Since 1987, she has received annual ASCAP Special Music Awards, and she has conducted honor choirs at major venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center. For more than thirty years, she directed school choral, vocal, and elementary publications at leading educational music publishers, concluding her tenure at Alfred Music.

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, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College. A native of Cleveland, she served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and was recognized with their Pillar of Leadership award. In 2021, she 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 lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina, with her husband, composer and arranger Jay Althouse.

Why we love this

This is a spiritual that actually sounds fresh on a Christmas program. The walking tempo and simple a cappella texture let the story breathe without the clutter of orchestration, while the optional percussion parts give you flexibility to build energy if your choir is ready for it. Albrecht's gift for singable, memorable melody shines here, and the piece balances accessibility with genuine musical depth.

What to expect

The piece unfolds with a contemplative yet steady reverence, as if the choir is walking alongside the events of that night in Bethlehem. The a cappella texture creates an intimate, unadorned quality that allows the simplicity and power of the nativity story to resonate directly with listeners.

Who it's for

Intermediate to advanced choirs seeking a meaningful, singable spiritual for their Christmas programming. This works well for choirs that can handle three-part mixed voicing and appreciate the challenge of a cappella singing without the complexity of dense harmony or extreme ranges.

How to get the most out of it

  • Establish a steady, unhurried walking pace from the first rehearsal; this spiritual thrives when the tempo feels grounded and inevitable rather than rushed.
  • Bring the optional percussion parts into rehearsals once the choir has secured the harmonic foundation, using them to deepen pulse and texture rather than to carry the piece.
  • Pay attention to blend and balance in the a cappella setting, particularly where the soprano and alto lines move independently; clear intonation matters when there is no instrumental support.
  • Use the visual storytelling potential of this piece; consider how your singers' physical presence and connection to the text can enhance the narrative of the nativity.

How to use it

Fit this into a Christmas concert as a grounded, narrative moment between more festive arrangements or orchestral pieces. Its reflective walking tempo and change-of-pace character make it an ideal companion to livelier holiday selections, offering your audience a chance to sit with the spiritual core of the season.

Skills your students will build

  • A cappella intonation and blend in mixed voicing
  • Independent melodic lines while maintaining harmonic cohesion
  • Text expression and storytelling in sacred music
  • Coordination with optional unpitched percussion parts
  • Sustaining legit singing in a steady, moderate tempo

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