Now Proclaim Messiah's Birth: SATB Choral Octavo

McCartha's setting honors the melody while creating rich harmonic underpinning that gives each voice part genuine material to sing. The arrangement sits comfortably for mixed ensembles and offers enough textural variety to hold an audience's attention across eleven pages.

The arrangement radiates joyful proclamation without sentimentality. There's a directness to McCartha's harmonic language that feels both grounded in tradition and freshly voiced for contemporary choirs.

This works for intermediate to advanced choirs seeking concert repertoire with seasonal relevance beyond December performances. It suits directors who want a piece substantial enough to justify detailed rehearsal time while remaining accessible to singers with varied reading experience.

• Balance the declaration of the text across all four voices; avoid letting sopranos dominate the announcement of 'Messiah's Birth' since each voice carries this proclamation.
• Shape the phrase arcs carefully so that the harmonic progression feels inevitable rather than static, especially in longer sustained sections.
• Consider how much vibrato serves the piece; a leaner, more unified tone in ensemble passages strengthens the proclamatory quality.

Program this as a centerpiece for a secular holiday concert, pairing it with contrasting seasonal works of different styles or nationalities. It also works as an effective opener that establishes tone and showcases your ensemble's ability to blend and balance in a familiar text.

• Part independence in four-part harmony
• Phrasing across longer sectional structures
• Ensemble balance and blend in text-driven writing
• Interpretation of harmonic progression and cadential points