Something Told the Wild Geese: SSA Choral Octavo
Words by Rachel Field, music and additional words by Andy Beck
Item: 00-PO-0003684
$1.90
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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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
SKU:
00-PO-0003684
More about this title
About the Composer: Andy Beck
Andy Beck directs choral publications at Alfred Music and has composed and arranged over 450 choral works now in active publication. His background includes a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Ithaca College and a Master's degree from Northwest Missouri State University, grounding his work in both pedagogy and artistic craft. Beyond his prolific output as a composer, Beck maintains an active career as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician, working regularly with honor choirs and all-state ensembles across the Southeast and beyond.
As a tenor performer, Beck has sung with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir and worked as a studio singer for Alfred Music since 1992. His instructional resources, including Sing at First Sight and Foundations in Choral Sight Singing, reflect his commitment to music literacy alongside artistic expression. His compositions are performed by choirs worldwide, a testament to writing that speaks directly to the needs and voices of singers at all levels.
Why we love this
Beck captures the emotional core of Rachel Field's poem without resorting to oversimplification. The opening fifth on piano creates immediate atmosphere, and his orchestration of nuance across dynamics and tempo invites singers into genuine interpretive work rather than just executing notes. The addition of a resplendent choral moment provides the reward that makes this piece memorable in both rehearsal and performance.
What to expect
The piece inhabits a quiet, observant space before opening into warmth and richness. A stark piano gesture establishes a world of migration and seasonal change, and when voices enter with text, they do so with delicate intention. The shift into fuller harmony feels earned, resonant with the season the poem describes.
Who it's for
This octavo serves SSA choirs seeking repertoire with real poetic substance and expressive depth. It works equally well for concert performance and festival competition, offering enough interpretive material to satisfy thoughtful singers while remaining accessible to upper-middle-level ensembles.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the opening carefully around that sparse piano fifth; resist the urge to enter with too much energy. The chill the composer evokes depends on restraint.
- Attend closely to the dynamic and tempo markings Beck provides. These are compositional choices, not suggestions; they carry the poem's emotional arc.
- Use the added wintertime text in the choral section to deepen ensemble unity. Singers need to understand how these new words reinforce the original poem's meaning.
- Balance the lush harmony of the chorus against the sensitity of the opening; the contrast is what makes the piece effective.
How to use it
This pairs naturally with other autumn and winter programming, offering a contrasting moment of restraint and intimacy alongside more celebratory seasonal fare. Its moderate length and clear emotional arc make it an ideal choice for a concert centerpiece or a strong contest selection that judges will remember for musical integrity rather than technical display.
Skills your students will build
- Expressive phrasing within a sparse texture
- Dynamic nuance and its role in storytelling
- SSA voice blending in lush harmonic writing
- Interpretation of poetic text through musical shaping
- Breath management across longer, sustained phrases