Simple Gifts: SATB Choral Octavo
American Shaker Song / arr. Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0001298
$2.05
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Your choirs will sound their best performing this elegant, contemporary arrangement of the well-known American folk song. Uplifting for school and church choirs alike. Accompaniment available on PianoTrax 4 CD (00-35870).
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0001298
More about this title
About the Arranger: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni. Early in his career, he worked as a rights and licenses administrator for a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. This background shaped his deep understanding of what choirs need and how to serve them across all levels.
As a composer and arranger, Althouse has more than 800 works in print and is widely performed throughout the English-speaking world. He holds membership in ASCAP and regularly receives the ASCAP Special Award for his compositions. Beyond choral writing, he has co-created children's musicals with his wife Sally K. Albrecht, compiled vocal solo collections, co-authored The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers, and written numerous classroom resources. He currently serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America and resides in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Why we love this
Althouse brings both a composer's sensibility and a publisher's pragmatism to this arrangement. The piece balances the melody's inherent beauty with accessible voicing, meaning your singers can focus on phrasing and blend rather than wrestling with complexity. It works equally well as a festival warm-up, a concert closer, or a community building moment in service settings.
What to expect
Warm and grounded, like a familiar gathering. The arrangement respects the folk tune's meditative quality while adding gentle harmonic color that feels contemporary without trendy. There's quiet dignity here and a sense of shared purpose.
Who it's for
School and church choirs looking for a unifying piece that works across age groups and voice maturity levels. This arrangement suits community choirs, festival selections, and ensembles that value accessibility without sacrificing musical substance.
How to get the most out of it
- Find the natural breath points within each phrase rather than stopping at every bar line. The text will guide you toward longer musical gestures.
- Let the sopranos carry the melody with warmth; too much vibrato will obscure the folk tune's simplicity. The accompaniment does enough harmonic work.
- Emphasize the steady pulse in lower voices. Tenors and basses ground the arrangement, so their rhythmic confidence elevates the whole ensemble.
How to use it
Pair this with other American folk repertoire for a thematic program, or close a concert with it as a moment of reflection and unity. Its brevity and positive character make it ideal for rehearsal openers or community sing-alongs where you want all voices included.
Skills your students will build
- Blending across SATB parts while maintaining individual phrase clarity
- Sustaining long lines with appropriate breath management
- Balancing melody and accompaniment within the harmonic texture
- Interpreting folk material with musicality while preserving its essential character