The North Pole Radio Hour Cover Image

The North Pole Radio Hour: Choral Performance Pack

$99.95 USD
$99.95 USD
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The North Pole Radio Hour Cover Image
The North Pole Radio Hour: Choral Performance Pack

The North Pole Radio Hour: Choral Performance Pack

A Swingin' 1940s Holiday Musical for Unison and 2-Part Voices

By Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse, recording orchestrated by Jay Althouse and Steve Herold

Grade: 3 & up

Item: 00-28754
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Description
Take a 35-minute trip down memory lane as NPR (North Pole Radio) presents its 1946 Christmas holiday edition of "The North Pole Radio Hour." Hosts Sandy Snow and Storm Phillips welcome special guests the Moss Family (winners of the Klean Soap commercial songwriting contest) and several long-distance callers who phone in to chat with the big man himself during the "Ask Santa" segments. Swingin' musical guests include Joey Garland and Heather Holladay, each backed up by NPR's own "Snowtones." A fun-filled flashback to a bygone era with enough opportunities for the whole school to participate! Recommended for grades three and up. Performance time: approximately 35 minutes. Staging Suggestions included. Enhanced SoundTrax CD includes a reproducible PDF file of Cover Art.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Alfred Music
UPC: 038081313009
SKU: 00-28754

More about this title

About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht has built a prolific career as a choral composer, conductor, and clinician with particular expertise in integrating movement into choral performance. Since 1987, she has been an annual recipient of the ASCAP Special Music Award and currently has more than 600 choral publications and 75 larger works including musicals in active circulation. She has conducted honor choirs at major venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center, and spent over three decades developing school choral, vocal, and elementary publications as Director of School Choral and Vocal Publications for major educational music publishers, including Alfred Music.

Albrecht holds degrees from Rollins College (B.A., 1976, double major in Music and Theater) and the University of Miami (M.A. in Drama, 1977; M.M. in Accompanying, 1979). She has taught at Oakland University, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, she received the Distinguished Alumna Award in 2021 from both the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Rollins College, where she serves on the Board of Trustees. She has also chaired the Board of Trustees for the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and holds their Pillar of Leadership award.

Why we love this

This musical captures the warmth and whimsy of mid-century radio without requiring a fully realized theatrical production. The built-in variety (commercial jingles, solo features, group numbers, and spoken segments) keeps every student engaged whether they're singing, narrating, or supporting the action, making it genuinely inclusive for a mixed-ability ensemble and grades three and up.

What to expect

Nostalgic and lighthearted, with the energy of a vintage broadcast captured in real time. The mix of swingin' solos, ensemble singalongs, and humorous spoken interludes creates an atmosphere of holiday joy that feels both theatrical and genuinely fun rather than saccharine.

Who it's for

Elementary and middle school choirs looking for a large-ensemble holiday program that genuinely accommodates singers at all levels and offers performance opportunities beyond the chorus line. Directors seeking a complete theatrical package with staging suggestions already built in will find this especially practical.

How to get the most out of it

  • Use the recorded accompaniment to lock the ensemble's phrasing early in rehearsal, then gradually remove it so singers rely on each other rather than the track.
  • Lean into the vintage radio aesthetic by having soloists and spoken-word segments delivered with clear articulation and intentional pacing, as if broadcasting live.
  • Assign movement and staging roles deliberately; every student (including those less confident singers) can deliver dialogue, operate simple sound effects, or support scene transitions.
  • Prepare the Snowtones' backing parts first so soloists like Joey Garland and Heather Holladay can layer their melodies confidently over a stable foundation.

How to use it

Stage this as your main holiday concert offering, or split it across winter assembly performances if full staging isn't feasible. Its 35-minute runtime also works well as the centerpiece of a winter concert alongside shorter seasonal pieces.

Skills your students will build

  • Ensemble blend and balance while supporting featured soloists
  • Clear diction in both sung and spoken text
  • Following conductorial cues and tempo changes across multiple distinct musical segments
  • Coordinate movement and staging with musical line
  • Building confidence in varied performance roles (soloist, ensemble, narrator, ensemble musician)

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