Now Is the Time of Christmas: SATB Choral Octavo

Althouse crafts accessible holiday repertoire with real substance. This piece balances singability with genuine musical interest, drawing on authentic English carol tradition rather than relying on arrangements of the familiar. The text and music sit naturally in the voices, which means your singers can focus on shaping and performing rather than struggling with ranges or awkward text setting.

Festive and warmly nostalgic without sentimentality. The 16th-century carol foundation gives the piece a sense of timelessness, while Althouse's text and setting feel immediate and fresh. There is genuine joy in the voicing, and the piece invites singers and listeners alike into a shared celebration.

Directors seeking elegant, straightforward Christmas repertoire that works equally well in concert settings, madrigal dinners, or processional contexts. This octavo suits mixed choirs of intermediate ability who appreciate tasteful, non-commercial holiday writing.

• Lean into the carol's storytelling quality by varying dynamics across verses; treat it as narrative rather than one-tempo processional.
• Balance inner voices carefully in any tutti sections; Althouse's voice leading rewards clarity and attention to harmonic movement.
• If using the recorded accompaniment, allow time in rehearsal for singers to lock into the tempo and phrasing before performing, especially if your group typically sings with a live pianist.

This works beautifully as a processional opener or closer for a holiday concert, especially if your program includes other secular Christmas material or madrigals. It also pairs naturally with a madrigal feast format, where smaller voice groups can perform it comfortably and the festive spirit complements the informal performance style.

• Singing from a 16th-century carol text with clear diction
• Balancing SATB voices in traditional four-part harmony
• Phrasing and interpretation of seasonal material
• Ensemble cohesion in processional or concert contexts