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Make a Joyful Noise: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

$21.95 USD
$21.95 USD
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Make a Joyful Noise Cover Image
Make a Joyful Noise: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Make a Joyful Noise: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Words and music by Kirby Shaw

Item: 00-SVM04048CD
$21.95
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Description
Your choirs will make many a "joyful noise" with this bold and energetic African style original from Kirby Shaw. The Swahili text is easily learned and brings with it a strong message of hope and caring. If you're looking for an opener or maybe a theme selection for your next concert, this is it.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Alfred Music
UPC: 654979074717
SKU: 00-SVM04048CD

More about this title

About the Composer: Kirby Shaw

Kirby Shaw

Kirby Shaw's reach extends across North America, Europe, and beyond, having conducted and taught in 45 states plus Canada, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Germany, and the Bahamas. He holds degrees in Music Education and Choral Composition from San Jose State University and earned his DMA in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington. His approach to teaching combines deep musical knowledge with infectious humor and energy.

Shaw founded and directed the celebrated COS Vocal Jazz Ensemble at College of the Siskiyous in California, then built similar programs at Colorado State University and the University of Missouri at Kansas City before joining Southern Oregon University. His compositional and arranging output is staggering: over 2500 works in print, nearly 20 million copies sold worldwide, and multiple ASCAP awards. He has studied vocal jazz with legends including Bobby McFerrin, Mark Murphy, Al Jarreau, and Jon Hendricks. In addition to his prolific work in choral music, Shaw is a founding member of Just 4 Kicks, a four-man a cappella jazz ensemble, and co-wrote the musical Scroogical with his wife, Markita.

Why we love this

Shaw writes with a natural understanding of what energizes singers and audiences alike. The African style rhythms and Swahili text create immediate cultural authenticity, while the bold arrangement delivers the kind of opening number that sets a confident tone for your entire concert program.

What to expect

Bold and rhythmically infectious, with the warmth of African traditions infused into Shaw's bright harmonic language. The Swahili text carries genuine meaning about hope and community, so the piece feels both celebratory and purposeful rather than superficial.

Who it's for

Choirs seeking a high-impact opening number or signature piece that showcases both vocal unity and cultural awareness. This works for advanced high school choirs, collegiate ensembles, and community choruses looking to broaden their repertoire beyond European traditions.

How to get the most out of it

  • Lean into the rhythmic drive and let the percussion parts anchor the groove; this piece thrives on precision in the rhythm section, so lock those parts early in rehearsal
  • Teach the Swahili text as a group from day one, using the recorded accompaniment to model proper pronunciation and phrasing
  • Build energy gradually through the piece by encouraging singers to connect the text's message of hope and caring to their vocal commitment

How to use it

Program this as your concert opener to immediately capture audience attention with its energy and novelty, or feature it as a thematic anchor if your program explores global music or social responsibility. Its confident character makes it equally effective as a closing number that leaves listeners feeling uplifted.

Skills your students will build

  • Rhythmic precision in syncopated African-influenced patterns
  • Pronunciation and phrasing in a non-English language
  • Blending and balance across multiple vocal lines in a contemporary harmonic context
  • Connecting textual meaning to vocal expression and energy

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