May the Season Never End: 2nd Percussion: Choral SoundPax
Words by Tom Durley and Jay Althouse, music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PC-0014878_PC2
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Description
"December nights bring great delights of friendship and good cheer." Celebrate the joys of the holiday season with this delightful contemporary madrigal-like choral. Perfect as a festive processional or during a madrigal feast.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, May the Season Never End: 2nd Percussion: Choral SoundPax 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:
14
SKU:
00-PC-0014878_PC2
Instrumentation:
SoundPax
More about this title
About the Composer: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was later honored with the Distinguished Alumni award. His eight-year tenure as rights and licenses administrator at a major educational music publisher included service on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. He brings both institutional experience and deep pedagogical knowledge to his prolific output.
With more than 800 choral works in print, Althouse has established himself as a composer for ensembles across all levels. His compositions have earned him regular ASCAP Special Awards, and his music circulates widely throughout English-speaking choral programs. Beyond composition, he has co-created children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, compiled vocal solo collections, and authored classroom resources including Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. His choral work I Hear America Singing, co-written with Albrecht, was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 inauguration.
Why we love this
Althouse writes madrigal-style pieces with genuine accessibility and warmth, making them workable for intermediate choirs while maintaining musical substance. The contemporary madrigal format gives singers the textural independence they need to feel engaged, and the holiday setting makes it natural programming during winter concerts or festive celebrations. The recorded accompaniment and available instrumental parts create flexibility for how and where you perform it.
What to expect
Warmth and merriment bubble up through the independent voice lines, creating a sense of celebration that feels intimate rather than grand. The madrigal character gives it a timeless, almost Renaissance flavor, yet Althouse's contemporary writing keeps it fresh and immediately singable.
Who it's for
Holiday concert directors looking for secular, festive repertoire that moves beyond traditional carols. Choirs with intermediate to advanced sight-reading skills will thrive with the polyphonic demands, and groups of any size can make it work through SoundPax format flexibility.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the individual voice lines as though each singer is a soloist; madrigal textures rely on clarity between parts rather than blend.
- Use the recorded accompaniment to establish tempo and harmonic support during rehearsals, then gradually reduce its volume as the choir gains confidence with independence.
- Shape phrases according to the text rather than the bar line; let the words guide your singers' breath and phrasing choices.
- Consider doubling any line that feels thin in a smaller ensemble, or add the optional instrumental parts to strengthen particular voice sections.
How to use it
Program this during a winter concert's lighter section, or use it as a festive processional for a madrigal feast or holiday concert finale. Its conversational text about friendship and good cheer makes it equally effective as a concert closer or an icebreaker early in a holiday program.
Skills your students will build
- Independent voice line singing and awareness of surrounding harmonic parts
- Phrase shaping driven by text rather than bar structure
- Sight-reading of polyphonic texture
- Sustained tone and vocal independence in madrigal style