Something Told the Wild Geese Cover Image

Something Told the Wild Geese: SAB Choral Octavo

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Something Told the Wild Geese Cover Image
Something Told the Wild Geese: SAB Choral Octavo

Something Told the Wild Geese: SAB Choral Octavo

Words by Rachel Field, music and additional words by Andy Beck

Item: 00-45461
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Description
A stark fifth in the piano represents a chill in the air and frames the opening of this sensitive setting of the popular Rachel Field poem. Nuanced dynamics, tempi, and phrasing invite expressive singing. A resplendent chorus, featuring additional wintertime words, breaks into lush harmony.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081512013
SKU: 00-45461

More about this title

About the Composer: Andy Beck

Andy Beck

Andy Beck directs choral publications at Alfred Music and has become one of the most performed contemporary choral composers in the country. His catalog exceeds 450 works spanning art songs, secular choruses, children's musicals, and vocal resources, all distinguished by their musicality, singability, and pedagogical integrity.

Beyond composition, Beck has shaped music education through his vocal methods and sight-singing curricula, works that reflect his deep commitment to literacy and technique. A tenor himself, he performs and conducts regularly, serves as guest clinician and adjudicator for honor choirs nationwide, and holds degrees in music education from Ithaca College and Northwest Missouri State University.

Why we love this

Beck captures the melancholic beauty of Field's poem without sentimentality. The opening gesture (that stark fifth) immediately signals artistic intent, and the interplay between restraint in the verses and expansive harmony in the chorus gives singers genuine expressive territory to explore. This is the kind of piece that stays with an audience.

What to expect

The piece opens with deliberate stillness, almost austere. As voices enter the Field text, there's a contemplative quality that gradually unfolds into richer harmonic textures. The resplendent chorus moment feels earned, arriving like warmth breaking through cold air. The overall arc is one of gathering intensity and emotional resonance beneath a veneer of restraint.

Who it's for

SAB choirs looking for substantial yet accessible concert repertoire that challenges singers musically without overextending limited vocal ranges. Directors seeking authentic seasonal programming that avoids cliché will find a sophisticated treatment of a beloved text here.

How to get the most out of it

  • Establish the chill of that opening fifth on piano before the voices enter; let it frame the emotional landscape for the entire piece.
  • Shape the dynamics with intention around key words in Field's text; Beck's markings guide phrasing, but singers should understand what each dynamic shift communicates about the geese's instinct.
  • Bring special attention to the resplendent chorus section; the lush harmony rewards careful voice independence and blend work in rehearsal.
  • Vary tempi subtly between sections as the score indicates, allowing the winter imagery to breathe and preventing the piece from feeling static.

How to use it

Program this as an anchor for a fall or winter concert where it can serve as a reflective centerpiece. It pairs well with both lighter seasonal fare and more serious contemporary repertoire, creating meaningful contrast. The 8-page length makes it ideal for festivals or concert programs where time is limited but impact matters.

Skills your students will build

  • Expressive phrasing tied to text and dynamic markings
  • Balance and blend in three-part mixed voicing
  • Interpretation of nuanced tempo and dynamics notation
  • Sensitivity to poetic language and its musical representation

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