Take the Music with You: Choral Instrumental Pak
By Joseph M. Martin / Arranged by Brad Nix
Item: 35-PK01289569
$35.00
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Description
Shawnee Sacred Octavo
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK01289569
More about this title
About the Composer: Joseph M. Martin
Joseph M. Martin studied piano performance at Furman University and later earned his master's degree from the University of Texas, Austin, where he taught in the Piano Pedagogy Department for five years. His performance credentials include solo recitals across the United States and Mexico, appearances with symphony orchestras, and a winning entry in the Nina Plant Wideman Competition that led to performances with the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra.
Martin's compositional reach spans from Carnegie Hall to church sanctuaries across North America, a breadth that reflects his dual life as both concert artist and church musician. His catalog demonstrates remarkable range in both style and scope, drawing from classical training while maintaining deep roots in congregational and worship contexts. He lives in Austin, Texas with his family.
Why we love this
Martin brings the craftsmanship of a concert pianist to his sacred writing, and this arrangement by Brad Nix proves it. The string orchestration gives the piece textural sophistication without overwhelming the choir, making it equally compelling whether you perform it as a full scored work or with voices alone. It's the kind of piece that singers remember because it sounds substantial in their mouths.
What to expect
The piece carries the warmth of Martin's church musician sensibility with the harmonic sophistication he developed through years of concert performance. Strings cradle the text with gentle luminosity, allowing the message to emerge clearly while giving singers the support of instrumental color.
Who it's for
Choirs looking for a sacred piece that accommodates string players without requiring them to sight-read complex material. This works for churches with modest instrumental resources as well as for concert choirs wanting to program a worthy shorter work alongside larger works in a season.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the string parts with care during rehearsal. These aren't background accompaniment; they're woven into the harmonic fabric, so your ensemble needs to hear how the two forces interact before full rehearsals.
- Shape the phrase endings deliberately. Sacred octavos often live or die on their breath points, so work with singers on where the musical thought completes versus where it extends forward.
- If performing with recorded accompaniment, run it enough times that your singers stop thinking about it. The piece gains its power when the choir can attend to musicality rather than tracking the track.
- Consider your string players' rhythmic precision early. Even light accompaniment demands rhythmic clarity, particularly if you're working with volunteers or younger players unfamiliar with this instrumentation.
How to use it
Slot this into a sacred concert or worship service where you want something substantial but not overwhelming. Its modest length makes it ideal as a secondary work in a program built around larger choral forms, or as a standalone offering in a service where music serves the liturgical moment directly.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing choral tone with instrumental accompaniment
- Ensemble awareness across multiple instrumental and vocal textures
- Phrase shaping in a sacred context with harmonic support
- Reading and responding to string parts as harmonic partners