Rejoice, Be Glad! (with Rejoice, The Lord Is King): SATB Choral Octavo

Wagner's setting of these two beloved hymn texts creates a powerful Easter statement without demanding vocal gymnastics or stretched ranges. The combination gives you textural variety and emotional shape within a manageable eleven pages, letting your singers focus on ensemble clarity and expressive singing rather than technical complexity.

The piece radiates celebration grounded in reverence. Wagner's straightforward harmonic language and accessible ranges create an inviting warmth while the dual hymn structure gives the work architectural weight and spiritual substance.

This setting works beautifully for church choirs preparing Easter services and for high school choirs seeking substantial sacred repertoire. It suits groups with solid fundamentals in blend and intonation but does not require advanced soloists.

• Balance the inner voices carefully during the hymn sections; the tenors and altos carry important harmonic material that can muddy if not heard distinctly.
• Let the text drive your tempo choices across the two hymns. Wagner's settings benefit from speech-like phrasing rather than metronomic rigidity.
• Rehearse the transition between 'Rejoice, Be Glad!' and 'Rejoice, The Lord Is King' deliberately. Clarity in the handoff prevents the piece from feeling disjointed.

Pair this with a cappella or smaller-scale sacred pieces to build an Easter concert that showcases both intimacy and corporate joy. It also works effectively as an anthem for a spring concert's closing set, anchoring the program with familiar hymnody while displaying your choir's musicianship.

• Singing SATB four-part harmony with clear voice independence
• Blending and balancing inner voices in hymn settings
• Expressive phrasing within a traditional harmonic framework
• Sustaining ensemble cohesion across longer sacred forms