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Open the Window, Noah: SATB, <i>a cappella</i> Choral Octavo

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Open the Window, Noah Cover Image
Open the Window, Noah: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo

Open the Window, Noah: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo

(Inspired by a Traditional Spiritual)

Words and music by Jay Althouse

Item: 00-47605
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Description
Inspired by the much-revered spiritual tradition, this original a cappella piece recounts the biblical story of the Great Flood. On its third attempt, Noah's dove returned with an olive branch, signaling the discovery of dry land. Flexible call-and-response solos are accompanied by a humming choir in the verses, and a jubilant refrain becomes even more thrilling when a treble trio joins at the end!

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081542980
SKU: 00-47605

More about this title

About the Composer: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni award. His work in music publishing included eight years as a rights and licenses administrator and a term on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. His compositional output spans more than 800 choral works performed internationally, and he maintains active membership in ASCAP with regular recognition through the organization's Special Award.

Beyond his prolific composing career, Althouse has contributed substantially to music education through co-written musicals with his wife Sally K. Albrecht, curated vocal collections, and classroom resources including Ready to Read Music, Sixty Music Quizzes, and One-Page Composer Bios. He served as co-writer of I Hear America Singing, performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. Currently based in North Carolina, he serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.

Why we love this

Althouse captures the spiritual essence without pastiche, grounding the piece in authentic call-and-response tradition while adding fresh harmonic and structural ideas. The flexible solo writing accommodates varying vocal strengths across your section, and the layered voicing at the end (humming foundation plus treble trio) creates genuine musical architecture that students actually enjoy building. Programming this alongside other spirituals or sacred works gives you a contemporary piece that honors the tradition rather than simply imitating it.

What to expect

Hopeful and grounded, with the quiet dignity of hummed harmonies supporting the story. When the treble trio enters near the end, the piece lifts into jubilation without losing its connection to the spiritual tradition, creating a moment of genuine uplift that feels earned rather than imposed.

Who it's for

SATB choirs at intermediate to advanced levels seeking accessible sacred repertoire with genuine spiritual grounding. Directors programming concerts around spirituals, festival competitions, or sacred music themes will find this piece equally at home in any of those contexts.

How to get the most out of it

  • Secure the humming foundation in verses before bringing in soloists; this underpinning determines whether the call-and-response lands with clarity and warmth.
  • Shape the refrain's arc by resisting the impulse to peak early; let the treble trio entrance serve as the true climax, with full ensemble supporting rather than overwhelming.
  • Work the flexible solos in rehearsal with different singers to find the natural speech rhythms that fit each voice, since phrasing here should feel conversational rather than metrically rigid.
  • Balance humming tone across the choir so it reads as unified texture rather than scattered voices; ask singers to find the hum that vibrates in the head, not the throat.

How to use it

Position this as a centerpiece in a concert devoted to spirituals or sacred choral literature, where its contemporary approach to traditional material highlights the living tradition. It also works beautifully as a closer to a mixed-repertoire concert, especially when you want to end on a note of hope and affirmation rather than dramatic weight.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustaining a cappella intonation across extended humming passages
  • Flexible solo delivery in call-and-response contexts
  • Layered listening and blend when managing simultaneous humming and melodic lines
  • Dynamic and timbral control to support soloists without overwhelming them

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