Like the Beat of a Drum: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Althouse brings the directness and accessibility he's honed across 800+ published works. This piece carries the rhythmic drive its title promises while remaining singable for mixed voices at a variety of ability levels, making it equally effective in a concert program or a festival setting. The recorded accompaniment gives you the flexibility to rehearse independently while maintaining a professional sound in performance.

The title speaks to the music itself: propulsive, direct, and driven by a compelling rhythmic foundation. This is choral writing that energizes a room and stays with an audience, built on Althouse's gift for melody that feels both fresh and familiar.

This digital download works for mixed choirs at the intermediate to early advanced level who want accessible, concert-ready repertoire with strong rhythmic character. Directors seeking pieces that rehearse efficiently while delivering a polished sound will find Althouse's writing both practical and musically rewarding.

• Lock into the rhythmic pulse early in rehearsals. Althouse's compositional style depends on rhythmic precision, so establishing a solid internal beat during sectional work will pay dividends when you combine parts.
• Balance the recorded accompaniment carefully during rehearsals. Start by letting singers hear it clearly so they can lock their entrances and phrase with confidence; gradually reduce reliance as independence grows.
• Shape the melodic line with attention to text stress. Even straightforward choral writing benefits from careful attention to where the text naturally falls within each phrase.

Program this as an opener or closer where you want to establish forward momentum and energy. Its rhythmic punch makes it ideal for a concert section focused on secular, contemporary repertoire, or position it strategically to bookend slower, more introspective work.

• Rhythmic precision and internal pulse maintenance
• Secure part singing with recorded accompaniment
• Text-aware phrasing in accessible choral writing
• Entrances and releases with rhythmic clarity