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Like the Beat of a Drum: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

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Like the Beat of a Drum Cover Image
Like the Beat of a Drum: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

Like the Beat of a Drum: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

Words and music by Jay Althouse

Item: 00-31081
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Description
"There's a change on the horizon, there's a change that's sure to come." This piece delivers with a powerful message to be true to what you believe in. Pulsing rhythms are accentuated with the optional drum circle parts included in the publication. Different, fresh, and memorable choral writing.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Like the Beat of a Drum: 3-Part Mixed 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: 16
UPC: 038081338538
SKU: 00-31081

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 later received the Distinguished Alumni award. His eight-year tenure in rights and licensing at a major educational publisher gave him deep insight into what schools actually need; he also served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America during that time.

With more than 800 choral works in print across all levels, Althouse has established himself as a prolific voice in American choral music. His compositions are performed widely throughout English-speaking countries, and he is a writer member of ASCAP with a consistent history of receiving the ASCAP Special Award. Beyond composing, he has co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, compiled respected vocal solo collections, contributed to pedagogical texts like The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers, and authored classroom resources including Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. He has served on the boards of the North Carolina Master Chorale and the Folk Art Society of America.

Why we love this

Althouse writes with real understanding of what three-part mixed choirs can deliver. The pulsing rhythms create momentum without overcomplicating the harmonic or technical demands, and the optional drum circle parts add a contemporary energy that engages students who might otherwise sit passively. A piece this fresh and motivational, anchored in a message worth singing, belongs on every young choir's repertoire list.

What to expect

Driven and purposeful. Pulsing rhythms propel the piece forward with genuine urgency, and the optional percussion elements add texture and contemporary color. This is choral writing that breathes conviction; it doesn't whisper or suggest but rather affirms and builds.

Who it's for

Three-part mixed choirs at the secondary level or beginning collegiate level will find this accessible without feeling simplistic. The piece works equally well for community and festival choirs seeking material with both contemporary energy and musical substance.

How to get the most out of it

  • Bring out the drum circle parts in rehearsal even if you perform without them; their pulse shapes the entire rhythmic architecture, so singers benefit from feeling that foundation during learning.
  • Layer in the SAB voices gradually rather than drilling all three parts together from the start. Let each voice part understand its rhythmic independence first.
  • Let the message land. The lyrics carry conviction, so encourage singers to inhabit the text rather than racing through it for technical accuracy.

How to use it

Open a concert with this. The rhythmic vitality and clear message energize an audience immediately, and the optional drum circle parts create visual interest that lifts a three-part mixed choir beyond traditional concert song. It also pairs naturally with other contemporary secular choral works that value directness and social awareness.

Skills your students will build

  • Rhythmic independence across three voices
  • Pulsing ostinato entrances and exits
  • Integration of percussion elements with choral blend
  • Text interpretation and lyrical conviction
  • SAB voice balancing in modern harmonic contexts

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