Shout It Out!: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Althouse knows the rehearsal room, and that shows in every phrase of this piece. The combination of movement, staging, and a recorded accompaniment track removes obstacles that often derail performance readiness. Your singers get to focus on musicality while the accompaniment holds steady underneath, and the built-in staging creates an immediate sense of ensemble purpose.

This piece radiates invitation and declaration in equal measure. The music has the warmth of a spiritual while the movement vocabulary keeps the energy contemporary and unguarded, creating space for your singers to inhabit the message with their whole bodies.

Directors programming sacred or spiritual repertoire who want the technical reliability of recorded accompaniment paired with the energy of choreographed movement. This works equally well for concert settings seeking an engaging spiritual moment or for ensembles building confidence through integrated staging.

• Use the recorded accompaniment in early rehearsals to establish the rhythmic foundation quickly, freeing up your conducting energy for intonation and blend.
• Block the choreography before polishing vocal lines. Singers need to own the physical shape of the piece so they can commit to both sound and movement simultaneously.
• Layer your rehearsal work: secure the vocal parts first, then add accompaniment, then integrate staging. This prevents the cognitive overload that kills musicality.
• Record a rehearsal performance and watch it with fresh eyes. The staging often reveals balance issues you'll hear differently once you see the visual picture.

Program this as a centerpiece for a sacred or interfaith concert, where the combination of music and staging creates a memorable moment without requiring elaborate production. It also serves well as the finale to a spring choral concert, giving your ensemble a chance to step outside the traditional concert format and surprise your audience with theatrical presence.

• Coordinating vocal performance with choreographed movement
• Following a recorded accompaniment while maintaining independent vocal lines
• Shaping spiritual repertoire with authentic emotional commitment
• Building ensemble cohesion through physical staging