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Light a Candle: SATB Choral Octavo

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Light a Candle: SATB Choral Octavo

Light a Candle: SATB Choral Octavo

Music by Jay Althouse and Marta Keen

Item: 00-16325
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Description
An easy yet touching piece with a meaningful text: "Light a candle, hold a sign of hope in your hand." Opening statement of the melody may be performed by a male/female duet. Basic choral writing, quickly learned by any age choir.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081136813
SKU: 00-16325

More about this title

About the Composer: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse studied music education and music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he later received the Distinguished Alumni award. His career spans eight years as a rights and licenses administrator at a major educational music publisher, a role that included service on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. His catalog now contains over 800 choral compositions performed across the English-speaking world, and he holds membership in ASCAP with regular recognition through the ASCAP Special Award.

Beyond composing, Althouse has collaborated with his wife Sally K. Albrecht on children's musicals and curated several influential vocal solo collections. He co-authored The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers, and created classroom resources including Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. His choral work I Hear America Singing, also written with Albrecht, was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. Althouse resides in North Carolina, where he serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.

Why we love this

Althouse crafts pieces that sound mature and meaningful without requiring advanced technical skills, making this ideal for mixed-age choirs or those building confidence in ensemble singing. The optional duet opening gives you a natural way to feature soloists while keeping everyone engaged, and the straightforward harmonic language means rehearsal time stays focused on interpretation rather than decoding complex voicing.

What to expect

The music captures quiet resilience and gentle encouragement, inviting singers and listeners to sit with hope rather than shout about it. There's warmth in the harmonies and sincerity in the melody that makes this feel like a song people actually want to sing and hear.

Who it's for

This piece reaches choirs of any age and experience level because the harmony is accessible and the message is universal. It works equally well for volunteer community choirs, school ensembles, and church choirs seeking repertoire that is both musically honest and quickly performance-ready.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the opening duet carefully so both voices project equally; this is your first chance to establish the piece's hopeful tone, and a well-blended entrance will draw the audience in immediately.
  • Let the text drive your phrasing rather than the bar lines. The image of lighting a candle and holding a sign of hope should feel organic and conversational, not metrically rigid.
  • Use dynamics to build emotional weight without losing intimacy. Even though this is easy to learn, it benefits from subtle dynamic shaping that lets each phrase breathe.

How to use it

Program this during winter concert season when themes of light and hope resonate most strongly, or pair it with settings of Chanukah or Kwanzaa traditions. Its brevity and emotional directness make it an excellent centerpiece for a themed concert section or a closing number that leaves audiences reflective.

Skills your students will build

  • SATB voice independence and blend within easy harmonic contexts
  • Text-driven phrasing and expressive singing
  • Secure ensemble intonation in straightforward voicing
  • Quick learning and retention of accessible melodic material

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