Opinion Is Power: Choral Octavo

Hochman writes choral music that feels urgent without being preachy. The piece captures contemporary energy and speaks to singers who want their music to mean something, making it equally valuable for concert programming and as a teaching tool about how composers address social themes through craft.

Direct and purposeful. The music captures the insistence of its title without sacrificing musicality, offering singers the satisfaction of performing something both relevant and well-crafted.

Choirs ready to program contemporary work that engages without overwhelming. This octavo works for high school through adult ensembles seeking a shorter piece with modern sensibility and clear message.

• Shape the text intelligibly first. Contemporary pieces like this live or die based on diction clarity, so establish consistent vowel sounds across the section before layering dynamics.
• Attend to vertical balance in any moments where lines diverge. Two pages goes quickly, so mark where the main idea lives and support it accordingly.
• Let the harmonic language breathe. If Hochman uses unexpected sonorities, resist the urge to smooth them out. Those moments are where the piece stakes its claim.

Pair this with contrasting repertoire on a concert to demonstrate range. A contemporary single like this creates a strong statement when positioned between classical and spiritual selections, or use it as the anchor for a thematically driven program exploring voice and agency in choral music.

• Text-driven expression in contemporary idiom
• Harmonic awareness in non-traditional contexts
• Diction and clarity with modern subject matter