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The Long Day Closes: SSA Choral Octavo

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$1.80 USD
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The Long Day Closes Cover Image
The Long Day Closes: SSA Choral Octavo

The Long Day Closes: SSA Choral Octavo

Words by Henry F. Chorley, music by Greg Gilpin

Item: 00-35675
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Description
Greg Gilpin has carefully set this touching Victorian era poem in an uncomplicated choral style, allowing us to focus on the deep meaning of the text. Expressive, quality literature for today's choirs. Poignant. Featured on PianoTrax 3 Accompaniment CD (00-34744).

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, The Long Day Closes: SSA Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081398716
SKU: 00-35675

More about this title

About the Composer: Greg Gilpin

Greg Gilpin

Greg Gilpin is an ASCAP award-winning composer and arranger whose choral works are performed across the United States and internationally. He has conducted performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Ryman Auditorium, Sydney Opera House, Royal Festival Hall, and Harpa Concert Hall, establishing himself as a leading voice in American choral music. As Director of Educational Choral Publications for Shawnee Press, Gilpin shapes the landscape of choral literature available to singers and directors worldwide.

Beyond the concert hall, Gilpin's creative reach extends to film scoring and professional organizing. He composed the award-winning score for the short film "Rosie's Rescue" and collaborated with opera singer Angela Brown on a new arrangement of "What Child is This?" premiered by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. An active member of ACDA, NAfME, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Gilpin remains committed to teaching, composing, and conducting as the music world continues to grow.

Why we love this

Gilpin strips away unnecessary complexity without sacrificing emotional depth, letting the Victorian poem do its work while the music serves the text's introspection. The uncomplicated harmonic language makes it accessible for developing choirs while the poignancy of the setting gives singers something genuine to express. This is literature that respects both the age of the singers and the weight of what they're singing about.

What to expect

Quiet reflection and gentle acceptance permeate this setting. The music invites singers inward rather than outward, creating moments of shared vulnerability among the choir and a sense of dignity in addressing life's inevitable transitions.

Who it's for

SSA choirs seeking repertoire that speaks to mature emotional content without demanding advanced technical skills. This octavo works well for developing singers in middle school through adult community choirs who are ready to engage with meaningful text and expressive singing.

How to get the most out of it

  • Allow silence and space between phrases to let the text's contemplative quality breathe; resist the urge to fill every moment with sound.
  • Shape the dynamic arc around the meaning of each line rather than following a predictable crescendo pattern; the deepest moments may be the quietest ones.
  • Balance textural clarity in the SSA voicing by having singers listen inward to blend with their section before projecting outward to the ensemble.

How to use it

Program this as a moment of repose in a concert, pairing it with other Victorian or early 20th-century secular texts to create a focused thematic program. Its eight pages fit naturally into a concert segment exploring literature about time, change, or closure.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing with legit, expressive tone production in a lyrical harmonic context
  • Balancing textural blend in SSA voicing while maintaining individual line clarity
  • Interpreting text-driven phrasing and managing dynamics for emotional impact rather than volume
  • Managing sustained singing and breath control across longer phrases

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