In the Evening Cover Image

In the Evening: SATB Choral Octavo

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In the Evening Cover Image
In the Evening: SATB Choral Octavo

In the Evening: SATB Choral Octavo

Words and music by Jay Althouse

Item: 00-43592
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Description
A unison pitch becomes a cluster chord and then blossoms into full contemporary choral harmony. Ample text painting, passing dissonance, and sensitive tempo and dynamic changes make this an excellent choice for accomplished choirs.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081491325
SKU: 00-43592

More about this title

About the Composer: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni award. Early in his career, he spent eight years in music publishing administration, serving on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. This insider perspective on the choral music industry informed his prolific compositional output.

With more than 800 works in print, Althouse has built a catalog that spans all choir levels and appears regularly in concert programs across English-speaking countries. Beyond composition, he has co-authored influential pedagogical books including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers, compiled respected vocal collections, and contributed reproducible classroom materials. His work "I Hear America Singing," co-written with his wife Sally Albrecht, was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. A member of ASCAP and longtime advocate for folk music traditions, Althouse resides in North Carolina and serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.

Why we love this

The harmonic journey here is what sets this apart: watching a unison line crystallize into cluster chords and then unfold into contemporary four-part writing creates genuine dramatic shape without requiring extended vocal ranges or tricky intonation challenges. Althouse's use of text painting feels earned rather than applied, and the passing dissonance and tempo shaping demand the kind of rhythmic precision and musicality that elevates an accomplished choir's rehearsal process.

What to expect

The piece unfolds with quiet intrigue, as familiar unison territory gradually becomes stranger and more complex. There is an openness and gentle unease in the harmonic landscape that feels reflective and intimate, like watching light shift across a landscape as evening approaches.

Who it's for

This octavo serves accomplished SATB choirs ready to engage with contemporary harmonic language and interpretive detail. Ensembles with strong intonation and the ability to respond to subtle dynamic and tempo shifts will find the most rewarding experience here.

How to get the most out of it

  • Establish the unison opening with absolute clarity and stillness; this moment of simplicity makes the harmonic expansion that follows feel earned and powerful.
  • Map the dynamic and tempo changes in rehearsal before addressing voicing so singers understand the architecture they're shaping into.
  • Balance the cluster chords carefully in real time; resist over-blending, as contemporary harmony often reads better with slight separation between parts.
  • Shape each phrase through the dissonance rather than around it; singers should feel the passing tones as intentional voice-leading choices, not mistakes.

How to use it

Use this as a concert centerpiece that shows off your choir's musicianship and sensitivity to contemporary idiom. The a cappella setting means it can anchor a mixed program of styles or stand confidently alongside other concert pieces without instrumental support considerations.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and singing contemporary harmonic language with cluster chords and passing dissonance
  • Responding to detailed dynamic and tempo shaping that drives musical meaning
  • Balancing individual voice lines within complex four-part sonorities
  • Sustaining intonation stability across extended harmonic progression

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