That Dixieland Sound (When the Saints Go Marching): 3-Part (any combination) Choral Octavo
Music by Don Besig and Nancy Price
Item: 00-PO-0002946
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Don Besig and Nancy Price give us not one, but two new partner songs for 'When The Saints Go Marching In.' The all-purpose 3-part voicing is ideal for any group from middle school through senior high. Add the SoundTrax cassette for a razz-a-ma-tazz, 'New Orleans' style accompaniment.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0002946
More about this title
About the Composer: Don Besig
Don Besig spent 31 years teaching public school music in western New York, building choral and show choir programs known for their success at clinics, contests, and community performances. His experience across all age levels and educational settings shaped his approach to composition. Besig founded his compositional career on a practical conviction: student singers and volunteer church choirs needed music written with their voices and abilities in mind. Since then, over 350 of his original works and arrangements have been published by major school and church music houses, with more than 15 million copies in circulation. His contributions to choral music have earned multiple ASCAP Special Awards. As director of music at Perinton Presbyterian Church in Fairport, New York, Besig continues to apply his teaching philosophy while serving as guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator at festivals and workshops across 40 states and Canada. He holds a degree from Ithaca College and maintains memberships in Phi Mu Alpha, ACDA, MENC, NYSSMA, and ASCAP.
Why we love this
Besig and Price have created a genuinely inventive treatment of a beloved standard by layering two new partner songs alongside 'When The Saints Go Marching In,' giving your choir material with real harmonic sophistication and textural variety. The 3-part SAB voicing accommodates mixed groups at middle school and high school levels without sacrificing musical interest. Programming this feels festive and substantial rather than simply novelty; the New Orleans style and partner song structure give singers something musically engaging to solve.
What to expect
Infectious and brass-band spirited, with the kind of jazzy energy that makes singers want to move. The partner song structure creates harmonic depth and playfulness; you're not just decorating a standard tune, you're building something with genuine musical architecture.
Who it's for
Middle school through senior high choirs seeking an arrangement that's accessible without being simplistic. Groups of any mixed voicing can find their placement in the SAB range, making this workable for female-only, male-only, or mixed ensembles.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the New Orleans groove from the start by working the rhythmic swing of the accompaniment into your sectionals before putting voices together; the style lives in that triplet-feel foundation.
- Balance the three melodic lines carefully when they enter simultaneously; each partner song needs clarity without one voice drowning out the others.
- Use the recorded accompaniment in rehearsal to lock your ensemble's rhythmic pocket; this style requires precision and lift, not just accuracy.
How to use it
Slot this into concert programs where you need something celebratory and crowd-pleasing that also shows choral musicianship. The novelty of hearing multiple melodies interlocked makes it memorable for audiences while remaining substantive enough to program at festivals or adjudicated events.
Skills your students will build
- Singing sustained melodic lines while balancing against simultaneously sounding partner melodies
- Interpreting and performing jazz-inflected rhythms and swing feel
- Reading 3-part mixed voicing across a 12-page score
- Blending with a recorded accompaniment track to maintain ensemble cohesion