Locus Iste Cover Image

Locus Iste: SSAB, <I>a cappella</I> Choral Octavo

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Locus Iste Cover Image
Locus Iste: SSAB, a cappella Choral Octavo

Locus Iste: SSAB, a cappella Choral Octavo

By Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse

Item: 00-48357
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Description
This regal a cappella Latin setting begins on a unison pitch that quickly blossoms into resplendent four-part harmony. Sensible voice leading and conservative intervals encourage good intonation even when we briefly shift to the relative minor key. Short in length but packed with worthwhile teaching moments, including occasional optional divisi in both voicings.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081551807
SKU: 00-48357

More about this title

About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht has shaped choral music education through five decades of composing, conducting, and publishing. Since 1987, she has received annual ASCAP Special Music Awards and maintains over 600 published choral works in print alongside 75 larger theatrical and songbook projects. She has conducted honor choirs at major venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center, and spent more than thirty years directing school choral and vocal publications for Alfred Music and other leading educational publishers.

Albrecht has taught at Oakland University, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College. She holds degrees from Rollins College (B.A. in Music and Theater, 1976), the University of Miami (M.A. in Drama, 1977; M.M. in Accompanying, 1979), and was honored with Distinguished Alumna Awards from both institutions. She has chaired the Board of Trustees for Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and resides in Wake Forest, North Carolina, with her husband, composer and arranger Jay Althouse.

Why we love this

Albrecht and Althouse have crafted a piece that teaches without feeling like a teaching tool. The arc from unison opening to full four-part harmony creates genuine musical drama, while the sensible voice leading means your singers succeed at intonation from their first rehearsal. At eight pages, it delivers substantive choral writing suitable for both concert and contest programming.

What to expect

Locus Iste unfolds with quiet reverence, beginning in focused unison before opening into warm, regal harmonies. The harmonic language feels both accessible and sophisticated, with the turn toward the relative minor adding subtle harmonic color without losing the piece's dignified, contemplative quality.

Who it's for

This piece suits intermediate to advanced mixed choirs seeking substantial concert or contest repertoire that doesn't demand extensive rehearsal time. It works well for choirs with 2-3 singers per part who are ready to blend as an ensemble rather than as soloists.

How to get the most out of it

  • Build the dynamic shape around the harmonic expansion. The unison opening should feel warm and centered; let the harmony bloom gradually rather than jumping to full volume when the parts separate.
  • Tune the relative minor passage by listening for vertical resonance rather than individual line accuracy. Have singers sustain a unison pitch before entering their new harmony to establish the tonal center.
  • Treat the optional divisi sections as opportunities for textural clarity. Decide whether you'll use them based on your choir's comfort with independence, not obligatorily.
  • Balance the text setting with musical phrasing. The Latin text should feel liturgical and spacious, not rushed through harmonic changes.

How to use it

Program this as a concert centerpiece that demonstrates your choir's ability to balance individual voice parts with ensemble blend. Its compact length makes it ideal for pairing with longer works, and its Latin sacred text establishes a liturgical tone when programming alongside secular or vernacular choral music.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing in four-part harmony with independent voice leading while maintaining vertical intonation
  • Sustaining blend and balance when harmonic density shifts within a short phrase
  • Reading and performing in the relative minor key using thoughtfully spaced intervals
  • Managing optional divisi passages with awareness of ensemble texture and independence

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