Sing Joy: A Medley of Carols: 1st Percussion: Choral SoundPax
Arr. Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PC-0001313_PC1
$4.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
This exciting four-minute holiday medley includes "Joy to the World," "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear," and "O Come, All Ye Faithful." The arrangements are fresh, yet scored for easy learning. Add the optional SoundPax (brass and percussion) for a true "holiday brass" performance. A regal addition to your December concerts.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Sing Joy: A Medley of Carols: 1st Percussion: Choral SoundPax comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
Open in the Player
Jump straight in and assign it today.
Start Your Free Trial
Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
14
SKU:
00-PC-0001313_PC1
Instrumentation:
SoundPax
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 later honored as a Distinguished Alumni recipient. His career spans work as a rights and licenses administrator for a major educational music publisher, where he also served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, he has created over 800 choral works performed widely across the English-speaking world and maintains active membership in ASCAP, receiving regular recognition through the ASCAP Special Award.
Beyond composition, Althouse has collaborated extensively with his wife Sally K. Albrecht on children's musicals and vocal collections, and co-authored influential texts including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers. His educational resources for music classrooms include Ready to Read Music, Sixty Music Quizzes, and One-Page Composer Bios. A notable achievement was co-writing I Hear America Singing, performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Barack Obama's Inauguration in 2009. He has served on the board of the North Carolina Master Chorale and continues involvement with the Folk Art Society of America's National Advisory Board.
Why we love this
Althouse's gift for fresh reharmonization shines here; these beloved carols sound both familiar and energized, making them feel genuinely new to singers who know them inside-out. The scoring respects learning curves while delivering genuine musicality, so your singers won't need to simplify the parts in their minds to enjoy what they're singing. Adding the optional brass and percussion transforms a solid choral piece into a full December feature without requiring separate rehearsals.
What to expect
Celebratory yet grounded. The arrangement honors each carol's reverent character while weaving them into a triumphant, four-minute arc that builds momentum. Singers feel the tradition of these hymns but experience them through contemporary harmonic color.
Who it's for
Directors seeking a holiday medley that carries substance without requiring advanced vocal technique or extensive rehearsal time. Any mixed choir from developing to experienced ensembles will find parts that sit comfortably and sound polished.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the inner voices in the three-hymn arrangement by bringing out the alto and tenor lines during rehearsals; these voices often carry the most interesting harmonic movement between carols.
- Invest time in the transitions between hymns to ensure they feel intentional rather than abrupt. A slight ritardando at phrase endings helps singers breathe together and maintains the medley's sense of continuity.
- If adding SoundPax, use the recorded accompaniment during early rehearsals to lock in tempo and harmonic support, then gradually pull back instrumental reliance so the choir owns its own sound.
- Shape the final moments generously; the climactic ending rewards a slight rallentando and full dynamic commitment from all sections.
How to use it
Anchor a December concert with this as either a closing statement or a strategic mid-program shift toward festive material. It also serves well as a substantial standalone piece when paired with a smaller seasonal carol or instrumental prelude, giving the concert weight without overcommitting choral resources to holiday material.
Skills your students will build
- Singing sustained harmonic progressions while listening to independent inner voice lines
- Managing medley pacing and breathing at transition points between distinct hymn tunes
- Balancing ensemble texture across three different musical sections with varying melodic and harmonic densities
- Coordinate with optional brass and percussion, if used, to lock rhythm and support vocal entrances