Like an Eagle: SAB Choral Octavo

Strommen's ballad construction here is masterful; the piece lives up to its reputation as a choral standard precisely because it gives singers an architecturally satisfying arc to inhabit. The SAB voicing opens this emotional journey to ensembles that might not have the four-part texture options, and the recorded accompaniment from SoundTrax lets directors focus entirely on shaping the group's interpretation rather than managing piano parts.

The piece unfolds like its title suggests: beginning with aspiration and building into soaring confidence. Strommen's harmonies are warm and accessible but never simplistic, and the emotional trajectory moves through vulnerability toward affirmation, giving singers a genuine emotional arc to perform rather than just notes to sing.

This octavo reaches mixed ensembles with developing singers who are ready for a ballad with emotional depth and structural sophistication. Whether your choir is preparing for spring concert, graduation, or looking to add a cornerstone piece to your repertoire, this work meets singers where they are while asking them to stretch musically.

• Allow the opening phrases to breathe; resist the urge to rush into the intensity building described in the arrangement. The power comes from restraint early on.
• Balance the part writing so that the melody doesn't overshadow the inner voices, especially as layering increases. Listen from the house to catch where blend breaks down.
• Mark phrase endings in the score; singers often hold too long here, shortening the space needed for breath and energy to reset before the next push upward.
• Use the SoundTrax accompaniment in rehearsal to lock in your tempo, but also try a few run-throughs with piano only to develop the ensemble's internal security.

This works beautifully as a concert closer for spring events or as a graduation opener that sets a reflective-yet-forward-looking tone. It also pairs well in a program alongside shorter, lighter pieces, where its ballad weight provides necessary contrast and leaves the audience with something substantive to carry with them.

• Sustaining legit phrasing across longer melodic lines without sacrificing diction
• Balancing part independence in SAB texture (particularly soprano-alto counterpoint)
• Dynamic control and the ability to shape crescendos that feel earned rather than imposed
• Maintaining intonation in divided voicing as harmonic complexity increases