Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child Cover Image

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: SAB Choral Octavo

$1.90 USD
$1.90 USD
Skip to product information
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child Cover Image
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: SAB Choral Octavo

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: SAB Choral Octavo

Traditional Spiritual / arr. Jay Althouse

Item: 00-43301
makemusic Cloud badge

Need it now?

Buy Digital Version
$1.90
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: PianoTrax Digital Download

$9.99
View

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: SATB Choral Octavo

$1.90
View

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: SAB Choral Octavo

$1.90
View
Description
Adapted from Jay's popular American Folk Songs for Solo Singers, this remarkable new choral arrangement works beautifully. The languid minor-key melody is passed from soloist to choir and part to part, often accompanied by mournful background vocals. Not difficult to perform, but appropriately weighty.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child: SAB Choral Octavo 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 Pages

Sample Audio
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081488431
SKU: 00-43301

More about this title

About the Arranger: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he later received the Distinguished Alumni award. His eight-year tenure in rights and licensing at a major educational publisher gave him deep insight into what works in choral settings; he also served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America during that period.

As a composer, Althouse has over 800 choral works in print, performed regularly across English-speaking countries. He is a writer member of ASCAP and a consistent recipient of the ASCAP Special Award. Beyond composing, he has compiled and arranged respected vocal solo collections, co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, authored classroom resources including Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios, and served the folk music community through his work with the Folk Art Society of America. He resides in North Carolina.

Why we love this

Althouse respects the spiritual's inherent dignity while making it accessible to treble-dominated choirs. The passing of melody between soloist, full SAB ensemble, and individual voice parts creates natural drama without requiring advanced vocal technique, making this a program piece that sounds mature and deeply felt without demanding virtuosity from your singers.

What to expect

The minor-key melody carries the weight of deep emotion, handed carefully from singer to singer like a shared story. Mournful background voices wrap around the main line, creating a texture that feels both intimate and collective.

Who it's for

Directors seeking a spiritually substantial piece for SAB ensembles that doesn't demand advanced technique. This works especially well for schools and community choirs wanting to include African American sacred music with respect and musical substance.

How to get the most out of it

  • Let the minor key breathe by resisting the urge to rush the languid melody. The spiritual draws its power from space and restraint.
  • Balance the solo passages so they emerge clearly from the background vocals; the arrangement's effectiveness hinges on hearing the dialogue between featured voice and supporting parts.
  • Shape the mournful accompaniment with care. These background figures should support rather than overshadow the primary melodic line.

How to use it

Program this as a centerpiece in a spirituals-focused concert, or use it to balance a program of lighter material with something genuinely moving. The eight-page format and moderate difficulty make it suitable mid-year when your ensemble has developed blend and balance.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing solo lines with harmonic accompaniment
  • Sustaining appropriate vocal tone and energy in minor keys
  • Shaping phrases without rushing languid tempos
  • Creating cohesive ensemble blend across three voice parts
  • Interpreting the textual and emotional weight of spiritual music

You May Also Like