Tell the News!: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Donnelly and Strid craft choral writing that lands between accessibility and real musicality, letting developing singers feel the joy of a well-crafted piece without drowning in complexity. A partner song structure keeps rehearsals engaging and gives you options for how singers combine their voices, which works beautifully when your choir spans different ranges or experience levels. The Christmas context is specific enough to matter in your holiday concert but fresh enough that it won't feel like you're pulling from the same five pieces every December.

Jubilant and direct, with the kind of celebratory spirit that makes singers want to sing out. The partner song structure creates texture and movement without demanding virtuosity, so the piece feels festive and full even when the vocal demands stay reasonable.

Choirs at the middle school, high school, or volunteer community level who want a Christmas selection that feels both accessible and purposeful. This works equally well for a modest ensemble and a larger choir, since the partner song structure allows you to adjust who sings which line based on your singers' abilities.

• Balance the melody and partner song by having singers listen across parts during rehearsal; mark entrances clearly so accompaniment cues land exactly where they're needed.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to establish tempo and harmonic texture, but don't let it replace your own conducting presence; singers should follow your interpretation, not lock into playback.
• Shape the text naturally and let the proclamatory quality of 'Tell the News' drive the energy rather than pushing for volume; clarity of diction will carry the message further than force.

Open a holiday concert with this to set an energetic, celebratory tone from the first moments, or place it mid-program to shift the emotional temperature from a more reverent selection into something brighter. The sacred text and Christmas context make it a natural anchor for a thematic program block focused on faith and celebration.

• Singing independently in a partner song structure while maintaining awareness of a second melodic line
• Balancing melody and harmony in performance rather than relying solely on unison singing
• Tracking text clarity and articulation when delivering a message-driven piece