The Power of a Song: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Words and music by Andy Beck
Item: 00-PO-0007011
$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-0007011
More about this title
About the Composer: Andy Beck
Andy Beck directs choral publications at Alfred Music and has composed and arranged more than 450 choral works and vocal resources now in active publication. His pedagogical resources, including Sing at First Sight, Foundations in Choral Sight Singing, and Vocalize! 45 Vocal Warm-Ups That Teach Technique, serve music educators across multiple levels. A tenor vocalist himself, Beck remains active as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for honor choirs and all-state ensembles, particularly throughout the Southeast.
Beck holds degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College (Bachelor's) and Northwest Missouri State University (Master's). Beyond his publication work, he performs and directs musical theatre, sings with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir, and has contributed vocals to Alfred Music studio recordings since 1992. His compositions have reached singers on a global scale, evidenced by widespread YouTube performances of his music.
Why we love this
Beck frames this piece around something your singers already care about: the transformative role music plays in their own lives. The resonant fanfare bookends give it gravitas and presence, making it work equally well as a concert opener or finale, while the optional flute obbligato adds textural interest without requiring it. The message lands because it's sincere, and your singers will feel genuinely invested in performing it.
What to expect
The piece radiates optimism and affirmation without veering into saccharine territory. The choral fanfare feels ceremonial and grounded, while the middle sections allow for genuine lyrical warmth as singers sing about music's power to heal, connect, and inspire.
Who it's for
This octavo is ideal for mixed-age choirs, school ensembles, and community groups where you want to reinforce why your singers come to rehearsal. The 2-part writing makes it accessible for developing choirs while the message resonates across all skill levels.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the 2-part texture so that neither voice dominates; the lines are designed to reinforce each other rather than compete.
- Shape the dynamic arc across the fanfare sections to create the sense of building energy and affirmation.
- If including the flute obbligato, rehearse it alongside the choir early so singers understand how their parts interact with the instrumental line.
- Let the lyrical content inform your phrasing and breath placement; this piece rewards singers who connect emotionally to the text about music's impact.
How to use it
Use this as a program closer to send audiences out with a message that extends beyond the concert itself. It also works beautifully early in a concert as a statement of purpose, especially during programs where you want to establish an emotional or thematic throughline about the value of music-making.
Skills your students will build
- Blending 2-part harmony while maintaining individual line integrity
- Text interpretation and emotional connection to lyrics about music's purpose
- Dynamic contrast and phrasing in both fanfare and lyrical sections
- Coordination with optional instrumental parts (flute obbligato)