Star of Glory Cover Image

Star of Glory: SATB, <I>a cappella</I> Choral Octavo

$2.25 USD
$2.25 USD
Skip to product information
Star of Glory Cover Image
Star of Glory: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo

Star of Glory: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo

Words and music by Jay Althouse

Item: 00-11584
makemusic Cloud badge

Need it now?

Buy Digital Version
$2.25
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

Star of Glory: SATB, a cappella Choral Octavo

$2.25
View

Star of Glory: SSAA, a cappella Choral Octavo

$1.75
View

Star of Glory: SAB, a cappella Choral Octavo

$2.25
View
Description
An exciting, original, a cappella Christmas spiritual from Jay Althouse in the tradition of his "No Room," "Have You Heard?," and "Whisper! Whisper!" Lots of effective dynamic contrasts make this a thrilling choral work for both singers and audience. Lush, slow middle section contrasts with up-tempo opening and closing sections. A quality choral work for your Christmas concerts.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Star of Glory: SATB, a cappella 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 Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081118130
SKU: 00-11584

More about this title

About the Composer: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni award. Early in his career, he spent eight years managing rights and licenses for a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America.

Althouse has established himself as a prolific composer with over 800 choral works in print, performed widely across English-speaking countries. A writer member of ASCAP, he regularly receives the ASCAP Special Award for his compositions. Beyond composing, he has co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, compiled vocal solo collections including Folk Songs for Solo Singers, and authored The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers. He has also created reproducible classroom resources and served on boards for the North Carolina Master Chorale and the Folk Art Society of America.

Why we love this

Althouse delivers exactly what his program notes promise: a piece built on genuine contrasts that engage both singers and listeners. The dynamic shifts between a propulsive opening, a richly voiced middle section, and an energetic finale give your choir multiple performance challenges within a single work, making rehearsal time feel focused and purposeful.

What to expect

The piece opens with infectious momentum and rhythmic drive before yielding to a spacious, lyrical middle passage where the voices move in slow harmony. The return to tempo feels like a natural surge of joy, making the piece both emotionally resonant and exhilarating to perform.

Who it's for

Choirs with solid blend and part-reading skills will find this piece rewarding. The SATB writing is straightforward enough for developing singers to learn, but the dynamic control and intonation demands of a cappella performance require rehearsal discipline.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the dynamic contrasts deliberately in rehearsal. Mark your own scores with specific dynamic targets for each phrase so singers understand the architecture and can execute the shifts cleanly.
  • Balance the parts carefully during the slow middle section. Without accompaniment, intonation and blend depend entirely on your singers hearing each other; consider working on this section in smaller voice-part clusters first.
  • Commit fully to the up-tempo sections. The energy in the opening and closing will carry the piece; don't let the transition back from the slow section feel tentative.

How to use it

Program this as a centerpiece in your Christmas concert's second half, where its lush middle section provides textural variety after more straightforward carols. The eight-page length and energetic bookends make it substantial enough to anchor a set without overwhelming a single-concert program.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing blend and intonation without instrumental support
  • Managing dynamic contrast within an a cappella texture
  • Sustaining legato singing through slower harmonic movement
  • Executing rhythmic precision in up-tempo sections

You May Also Like