Stronger Together: SATB Choral Octavo
Words and music by Sherry Blevins
Item: 00-PO-0007339
$2.40
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Staggered vocal entrances, a contemporary melodic hook, and an ear-grabbing accompaniment highlight the uplifting text on themes of unity and community. Halfway through, a left-hand piano feature with singer snaps and claps creates the first layer of an add-on section that grows stronger as the parts join together. A soaring final descant propels this impressive piece to its rousing ending!
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
16
SKU:
00-PO-0007339
More about this title
About the Composer: Sherry Blevins
Sherry Blevins has established herself as a prolific composer and educator whose works span multiple publishers including Alfred Music, Hinshaw, Fred Bock, and others. Since 2018, she has seen over 27 compositions published and has worked with elite ensembles ranging from the Oklahoma All-State Mixed Chorus to Opera Lucca's Composer's Institute in Italy, building a reputation for music that engages singers while captivating audiences.
Beyond composition, Blevins serves as clinician, adjudicator, and conductor at regional and national festivals. Her collaborative approach to creating music has led to commissioned works across school districts, including a 2023 project co-composing with choirs in seven Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. Vincent Oakes, former ACDA Southern Region President, notes that her writing is "smart, accessible, and well-balanced," marked by tuneful harmonies, crafted melodies, and accompaniments that support rather than overshadow the singers.
Why we love this
The architecture here rewards rehearsal time. Those staggered entrances and the layered build in the second half create natural teaching moments where you can isolate sections, then watch them lock together. The contemporary melodic hook gives your singers something memorable to hold onto, while the snaps and claps add an accessible, ensemble-building moment that middle and high school choirs genuinely enjoy performing.
What to expect
This piece radiates optimism without feeling saccharine. The contemporary melodic hook pulls listeners in immediately, while the layered, building texture in the second half generates genuine momentum. By the final descant, the energy is undeniable, singers feel the collective power of their voices joining together.
Who it's for
SATB choirs at the high school level and strong middle school ensembles seeking contemporary material with meaningful text and accessible vocal writing. Directors programming concert or festival performances will find the piece's dramatic arc and recorded accompaniment option especially useful.
How to get the most out of it
- Bring out the piano's left-hand feature in the add-on section before voices join; this moment needs clarity so the audience hears the rhythmic foundation shift.
- Address the staggered entrances in isolation first. Have each voice part practice its entry point independently, then layer them one at a time during rehearsals to build precision.
- Balance the final descant against the lower voices; the soaring top line should soar, but the foundation underneath keeps the piece grounded.
- Coordinate the snap and clap texture with your pianist. These percussion elements are rhythmic anchors, not afterthoughts.
How to use it
Position this as a set closer on a concert where you want to send the audience home energized. Its themes of unity and community make it a natural fit for spring or fall concerts celebrating ensemble work, and its manageable length (16 pages) slots easily into festival or competition schedules without crowding your program.
Skills your students will build
- Managing staggered vocal entrances and cues in a contemporary texture
- Balancing layered parts where sections enter at different points
- Coordinating rhythmic precision with non-traditional percussion (snaps and claps)
- Sustaining energy across a dramatic arc that builds toward a climactic descant
- Interpreting contemporary melodic writing that sits naturally in SATB voices