Silent Winter: SSA Choral Octavo
Silent Winter Sheet Music Preview

Silent Winter: SSA Choral Octavo

By Patti Drennan / By J. Paul Williams

Item: 35-DS00151104
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$2.99
Description

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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Page Count: 9
SKU: 35-DS00151104

More about this title

About the Composer: Patti Drennan

Patti Drennan

Patti Drennan brings three decades of classroom experience to her prolific work as a composer and arranger. She earned degrees in music education from Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma, then spent 28 years directing choirs in Norman Public Schools. Her tenure included 20 years at West Mid-High School, where she received the Teacher of the Year award, followed by eight years at Norman High School directing four choirs that earned consistent superior ratings. In 2004, the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association honored her with the Director of Distinction Award.

With over 425 published choral octavos and more than two million copies sold, Drennan has established herself as a sought-after clinician and workshop leader across 19 states, Canada, and major conferences including the Texas Music Educators Convention. Her compositions have reached prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall as part of the Sing for the Cure project. Since retiring from full-time teaching, she continues composing, arranging, adjudicating contests, leading music reading sessions for publishers, and directing composer weekends for churches throughout North America. She also performs and records with her daughter, a musical theater performer, through RoxSteady Music and various symphonic ensembles.

Why we love this

Drennan's gift for crafting singable, musically satisfying lines shines in this winter work. The piece respects the inherent beauty of the SSA voicing without asking for unnecessary technical pyrotechnics, making it accessible for mixed-level choirs while remaining genuinely artistic. This is the kind of seasonal selection that doesn't feel like filler at holiday concerts.

What to expect

The music carries a quiet, contemplative quality that matches its title. Rather than adopting the bombastic approach many winter songs take, this work honors the stillness of the season with restrained, thoughtful writing that invites intimate listening.

Who it's for

Secondary and adult choirs seeking repertoire that combines seasonal relevance with genuine artistry. The SSA voicing makes it especially valuable for ensembles with developing alto sections or limited tenor resources, while remaining appropriate for advanced groups looking for a reflective winter selection.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the harmony by encouraging alto singers to voice their part with confidence rather than support; they carry essential harmonic information throughout the piece.
  • Shape the melody across longer phrases rather than treating each line break as a phrase boundary, allowing the text to guide your interpretive choices.
  • Rehearse the entrance points carefully if the piece opens with staggered voices, ensuring rhythmic precision without sacrificing the legit quality of the vocal line.
  • Explore the recorded accompaniment early in rehearsals to anchor harmonic context, then gradually reduce reliance on it as students internalize their parts.

How to use it

Place this as a moment of repose within a holiday concert, perhaps following a more energetic opening or bracketing brighter selections with its reflective character. The nine-page length makes it substantial enough to anchor a program section without overwhelming rehearsal schedules during the busy December season.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing sustained tones with consistent breath support across longer phrases
  • Balancing three-part harmony with attention to voice independence
  • Interpreting text with emotional nuance in a concert arrangement
  • Sight-reading contemporary choral notation

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