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Shenandoah / He's Gone Away: SAB Choral Octavo

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Shenandoah / He's Gone Away Cover Image
Shenandoah / He's Gone Away: SAB Choral Octavo

Shenandoah / He's Gone Away: SAB Choral Octavo

Traditional American Folk Songs / arr. Mark Hayes

Item: 00-21817
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Description
A breathtaking combination of two simple folks songs. Mark Hayes has a tremendous gift for bringing the best qualities out of a simple musical idea. His artistic treatment of these two standards from the folk song repertoire will raise your choir to a new level of excellence. Harmonically rich and opulently expressive. The flowing sixteenth notes in the piano accompaniment paint a clear picture of a rolling river in Shenandoah, and the multi-metered setting of He's Gone Away augments the melody into a form that would surely draw you back ten thousand miles. Stunning when performed with live woodwinds and percussion, or the gorgeous SoundTrax.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Shenandoah / He's Gone Away: SAB Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 16
UPC: 038081212081
SKU: 00-21817

More about this title

About the Arranger: Mark Hayes

Mark Hayes

Mark Hayes brings nearly five decades of compositional and arranging experience to every project he touches. A summa cum laude graduate of Baylor University's piano performance program, he has built an extraordinary catalog of over 1,750 published works spanning classical, sacred, secular, and popular genres. His guest conducting appearances at Lincoln Center, the National Cathedral, and Carnegie Hall, combined with commissions from institutions across the globe, reflect the breadth of his influence in contemporary music.

Beyond the concert hall, Hayes has shaped musical theater scores, orchestrated commercial productions, and maintained a prolific output of piano literature across multiple stylistic traditions. In 2010, Baylor University recognized his contributions to Christian music education with its Award for Exemplary Leadership. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Hayes continues to compose and arrange at a pace that underscores his commitment to creating accessible, expressive music for performers and audiences alike.

Why we love this

Hayes treats folk material with genuine respect while elevating it beyond its origins. The harmonic language here feels both sophisticated and singable, which is the hallmark of a master arranger working within the three-part context. The flowing accompaniment figure transforms what could be a straightforward arrangement into something genuinely poetic.

What to expect

Nostalgic yet refined, with the spacious quality of folk song tradition meeting contemporary choral craftsmanship. The combination of these two pieces creates an arc from longing to resignation, painting intimate emotional landscapes through simple melodies dressed in rich harmony.

Who it's for

This SAB arrangement works well for developing choirs seeking literature that balances accessibility with artistic ambition. It serves singers who can handle harmonic complexity and interpretive nuance without requiring advanced sight-reading skills.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the flowing sixteenth-note patterns in the piano accompaniment with gentle rubato; these figures should feel like water movement, not metronomic precision.
  • Balance the alto and baritone parts carefully so the harmony doesn't muddy the soprano line. Hayes's voice leading rewards clarity across all three parts.
  • Consider performing with the optional woodwind and percussion parts if available; they add textural depth that honors the folk song tradition while expanding the arrangement's emotional reach.
  • Let the multi-metered sections of 'He's Gone Away' breathe. The metric shifts serve a dramatic purpose and will land more powerfully if you don't rush through the transitions.

How to use it

Pair this with other Americana selections for a concert exploring folk song traditions, or program it as a moment of quiet reflection within a larger concert. The piece works equally well in community, church, or school choral contexts and provides a welcome contrast to more contemporary secular choral repertoire.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and maintaining pitch through multi-metered sections (3/4 and other meters)
  • Balancing three-part harmony with soprano-forward melodic writing
  • Expressive interpretation of lyric material informed by folk song tradition
  • Ensemble blend across different voice ranges in close-harmony passages

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