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Midwinter's Chill: SSAB Choral Octavo

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Midwinter's Chill Cover Image
Midwinter's Chill: SSAB Choral Octavo

Midwinter's Chill: SSAB Choral Octavo

Words and music by Greg Gilpin

Item: 00-28847
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Description
Artistic from start to finish, each of the varied sections of this Gilpin original captures the essence of wintertime. The expressive rubatos, the rich poetry, and the well-placed dissonances will accentuate and cultivate the musicianship of your group. "All the world, cold and still, hides in slumber from the chill."

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Midwinter's Chill: SSAB Choral Octavo 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: 12
UPC: 038081313917
SKU: 00-28847

More about this title

About the Composer: Greg Gilpin

Greg Gilpin

Greg Gilpin stands among America's most performed choral composers, with conducting credits spanning Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Ryman Auditorium, the Sydney Opera House, Royal Festival Hall, and Harpa Concert Hall. An ASCAP award winner and director of educational choral publications for Shawnee Press, Gilpin has shaped the landscape of accessible, artistically compelling choral music for ensembles at every level.

Beyond composition and conducting, Gilpin has expanded his creative practice into film scoring (earning Best Score for the short film "Rosie's Rescue") and professional organizing, drawing on the same structural thinking that defines his music. He holds membership in ACDA, NAfME, SAG-AFTRA, and maintains Life Loyal status in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Why we love this

Gilpin crafts winter poetry into music with genuine sophistication; the varied sections and well-placed dissonances feel earned rather than arbitrary, giving your singers real expressive work to inhabit. The rubatos and harmonic language demand genuine musicianship from a developing group, yet the piece remains accessible to SSAB ensembles without feeling simplistic.

What to expect

Midwinter's Chill moves through the quiet drama of a winter landscape: moments of restlessness give way to deep stillness, with the harmonic language creating subtle tension and release that mirrors the text's journey from cold unease to peaceful slumber. The overall arc feels introspective and atmospheric rather than celebratory, inviting singers and listeners into a contemplative space.

Who it's for

SSAB choirs seeking winter repertoire with artistic depth and pedagogical substance will find a strong match here. The piece works equally well for high school groups with solid musicianship or community choirs ready to engage with more sophisticated harmonic language and expressive rubato.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the rubatos collaboratively with your singers rather than imposing them; let the poetry guide where natural flexibility serves the text.
  • Highlight the dissonances through independent voice leading in rehearsal so singers understand their harmonic function and commit to them with confidence.
  • Experiment with dynamic contrast between sections to clarify the shift from restlessness to stillness that the text describes.
  • Address any intonation challenges around the dissonant moments by isolating those passages and singing them both with and without the accompaniment.

How to use it

This piece anchors a winter concert with serious artistic intent, pairing naturally with other seasonal or introspective work. Its moderate length and varied sections make it equally suitable as a standalone featured selection or as part of a thematic program exploring winter imagery and mood.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing with rubato and expressive flexibility while maintaining ensemble unity
  • Voice independence in the context of dissonant harmony
  • Interpreting poetry through vocal color and phrasing
  • Intonation accuracy with chromatic and dissonant voice leading
  • Dynamic contrast and sectional form awareness

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