Anna Laura Page combines deep expertise in choral writing with a career spanning composition, organ performance, and music theory pedagogy. She earned degrees in vocal music education and music theory from the University of Kentucky, with additional study in organ and piano, and has taught theory and organ at both Mercer University and Lander University while serving as director of a community children's chorus.
Page's compositional output reflects her Baptist hymnal tradition work and her role as Handbell Music Editor for Alfred Publishing. Her catalog spans sacred choral works for ensembles of all ages alongside instrumental compositions for organ, handbells, and piano. She has been recognized with the ASCAP Standards Award for sustained musical contributions to the field.
Why we love this
Page's arrangement respects the hymn's congregational roots while crafting genuinely satisfying four-part harmony. The writing sits comfortably for amateur and developing choirs, yet includes enough textural variety and harmonic interest to keep musicians engaged without overwhelming them.
What to expect
Joyful and affirmatory without relying on bombast. The arrangement inhabits the confidence of a processional or recessional hymn, with clear harmonic progressions that feel both traditional and luminous.
Who it's for
Church music directors planning Easter services will find immediate value in this SATB setting. Developing high school choirs and community choruses also benefit from its approachable voicing and liturgically resonant text.
How to get the most out of it
Balance the melody between sopranos and other voice parts as Page layers the tune across registers; resist the urge to let sopranos dominate on what singers naturally hear as the 'top' line.
Shape each phrase with clear breath points that align with the text's meaning, honoring the hymn's original structure without allowing it to feel static.
Let the accompaniment support rather than drive the tempo; the most effective performances breathe with the singers' phrasing rather than pushing toward mechanistic precision.
How to use it
Use this as a closing statement for Easter services, or pair it with other resurrection texts to build thematic coherence across a spring concert program. Its seven-page length makes it substantial enough to anchor a section without consuming disproportionate rehearsal time.
Skills your students will build
SATB voice independence and harmonic listening
Hymn arrangement conventions and text underlay
Sustained vocal line shaping across multi-verse structures
Balance and blend in four-part textures
You May Also Like
Scan to Complete Your Purchase
Use your phone's camera to scan the code below
You'll log in on your phone and the order will be added to your account
