Shout For Joy is an iconic opening fanfare for your holiday celebration. This brilliant opening statement for concert band and choir has thrilled audiences for decades in Central Florida as part of a traditional concert program performed over 90 times each holiday season.
Original Item#: RWS-2301-00
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A fanfare that actually functions as a fanfare. Johnson and Davis have written something that commands attention without requiring virtuosic demands from your ensemble, giving you a genuine opener that lands every time. Over 90 seasonal performances in Central Florida prove this piece knows exactly what it's doing: setting an energetic, celebratory tone that audiences recognize and love.
What to expect
Immediate, bright, and celebratory. The piece announces itself with confidence, creating that opening-night magic that audiences expect from a well-crafted fanfare. There's genuine festivity here without sentimentality.
Who it's for
Concert bands seeking a tested, crowd-pleasing opener for holiday concerts, particularly those looking to integrate choir into their instrumentation. This works equally well for mixed-level ensembles since the fanfare style prioritizes impact over technical complexity.
How to get the most out of it
Treat the opening statement as a unified proclamation. The concert band and choir need to lock in visually and sonically, so rehearse them together early and often, even if they'll be spatially separated on stage.
Balance the choir within the band's sound carefully. The singers should enhance the brilliance without being swallowed by the instrumental texture; a house run-through in your actual performance space is invaluable.
Conduct with clarity and confidence in the opening gesture. This piece's power comes from decisiveness; a tentative or over-conducted opening will undermine the festive impact.
Allow the ensemble breathing room to enjoy the excitement. Resist the urge to rush the tempo in enthusiasm. Let the natural energy of the piece carry itself.
How to use it
Program this as your concert opener, especially for holiday performances. It establishes energy and sets expectations beautifully, meaning you can follow with either similarly spirited selections or transition into more reflective material. The fanfare format makes it ideal for welcoming audiences and establishing the celebratory context of your concert.
Skills your students will build
Ensemble blend and balance across instrumental and vocal forces
Responding to clear conducting gestures in a fanfare style
Maintaining a steady tempo in a rhythmically driven opening
Executing bright articulation in a holiday/celebratory context
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