The Power of a Song: SATB Choral Octavo
Words and music by Andy Beck
Item: 00-PO-0007010
$2.20
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Celebrate the "joy of making music all life long" with this powerful ode to our art. With lyrics about the many ways that music makes a difference in our lives, singers will embrace the message and be inspired to share it. Bookended by a resonant choral fanfare and including an optional flute obbligato, it's a dynamic opener or closer for all who love music!
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
16
SKU:
00-PO-0007010
More about this title
About the Composer: Andy Beck
Andy Beck directs choral publications at Alfred Music and has composed and arranged over 450 works for choral ensembles, vocal programs, and children's musical theatre. His publications include respected choral resources such as Sing at First Sight, Foundations in Choral Sight Singing, and Vocalize! 45 Vocal Warm-Ups That Teach Technique. A trained tenor with degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College and Northwest Missouri State University, Beck actively conducts honor choirs across the country, adjudicates at festivals, and leads clinics for music teachers and students.
Beyond his work at Alfred, Beck maintains an active performance schedule, singing with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir and directing musical theatre productions. His compositions are performed by choirs worldwide, and he serves frequently as a guest conductor for all-state and regional honor choirs throughout the Southeast. His dual commitment to choral artistry and music literacy shapes both his own compositions and the publications he stewards for the Alfred catalog.
Why we love this
This octavo captures something true about why we do this work. Beck writes with both musical sophistication and genuine accessibility, crafting a piece that sounds substantial while remaining singable by most SATB choirs. The optional flute obbligato adds a layer of color without becoming a necessity, letting you shape the piece to your ensemble's strengths.
What to expect
Confident and anthemic. The piece opens with a bold fanfare that sets an expectant mood, then moves into introspective passages where the singers' voices carry heartfelt messages about music's role in our lives. It closes with the same resonant confidence it began with, leaving the audience and singers alike with a sense of shared purpose and uplift.
Who it's for
Any SATB choir looking for a concert opener or closer that carries real meaning. The piece works equally well for high school, college, and community choirs seeking repertoire that celebrates music's impact without requiring extensive rehearsal time or specialized technique.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the opening fanfare so the initial choral sound lands with authority, then allow the message of the text to drive the emotional arc through the middle sections.
- If you include the flute obbligato, ensure it's audible during the middle passages without overwhelming the vocal line; think of it as an echo or commentary rather than a countermelody.
- Lock in rhythmic precision during the fanfare bookends, as these framing sections establish the concert-ready character of the whole piece.
- Shape the closing fanfare to feel like a logical culmination of the singers' journey through the text, building momentum toward the final declaration.
How to use it
This works beautifully as a concert opener that frames your entire program thematically, or as a closing statement that sends the audience out with an affirmation of music's value. It also fits naturally into season openers, fundraising concerts, or occasions celebrating the arts within your school or community.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing sectional blend within SATB voicing
- Sustained legit singing through longer phrases
- Interpreting text that carries thematic weight
- Ensemble precision in rhythmically defined fanfare sections
- Responding to optional instrumental color (flute obbligato)