Like the Beat of a Drum: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Althouse writes with a gift for matching meaningful text to music that actually engages singers. The pulsing rhythmic foundation here feels contemporary and purposeful, and the optional drum circle parts give you flexibility to involve non-singers or add texture without overcomplicating rehearsal. This is the kind of piece that sticks with students because the message and the sound reinforce each other.

Like watching momentum build. The steady pulse feels inevitable, almost hypnotic, while voices move in and out of rhythmic unison. There's urgency here, but also conviction—a piece that sounds like something worth saying and worth singing.

This octavo works for intermediate to advanced choirs looking for contemporary repertoire with a message that resonates beyond the concert hall. It suits groups comfortable with syncopated rhythms and able to maintain precision while layers of percussion and voices build energy.

• Establish the pulse with your rhythm section first. Let the drum circle lock in the heartbeat of the piece before layering voices, so everyone feels the propulsive energy from the start.
• Balance the optional percussion parts so they enhance rather than bury the vocal line. The drums should feel like they're driving the choir forward, not competing with it.
• Shape the text "there's a change that's sure to come" with conviction. This isn't tentative; your singers should deliver it as a statement of purpose.
• Use dynamics strategically to build momentum through the piece. The pulsing rhythms invite gradual intensification, so plan where the sound swells and where it pulls back for impact.

Program this as an opener or first-half closer when you want to establish energy and forward motion. It pairs well with ballads or slower pieces on the same concert, giving you dynamic contrast while keeping thematic coherence around themes of change, growth, or resilience.

• maintaining a steady pulse while navigating syncopated rhythmic figures
• blending voices across a driving harmonic foundation
• balancing vocal and percussion textures in ensemble singing
• projecting conviction through text delivery and dynamic shaping