The Sound of Winter: Choral SoundPax
Music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PK-0000627
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Description
Includes parts for oboe, a. sax., guitar, and bassoon.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, The Sound of Winter: Choral SoundPax 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
SKU:
00-PK-0000627
Instrumentation:
SoundPax
More about this title
About the Composer: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was later honored as a Distinguished Alumni. His background in music publishing brought him eight years of experience administering rights and licenses for a major educational publisher, during which he served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, he has published over 800 choral works performed regularly across English-speaking countries and maintains membership in ASCAP, consistently earning their Special Award for his compositions.
Beyond composing, Althouse has co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, edited respected vocal solo collections including Folk Songs for Solo Singers, and authored instructional resources for music classrooms such as Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. His collaborative work I Hear America Singing, created with his wife, was performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. He serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America and contributes articles to their quarterly publication.
Why we love this
Althouse writes accessible winter choral music that doesn't sacrifice musicality for simplicity. The inclusion of optional woodwind and guitar parts extends the piece across multiple ensemble configurations, making it useful whether you're programming with a full band or a lean jazz combo. Singers and instrumentalists both get rewarding material.
What to expect
A winter landscape rendered in warm harmonies. Althouse's writing creates the stillness and reflection of the season without leaning into novelty or forced cheerfulness. The optional instruments color the choral sonority without demanding a large ensemble.
Who it's for
High school, college, and adult choirs seeking seasonal repertoire with flexible instrumentation. Works well for ensembles with modest instrumental resources or as a vehicle for interdepartmental collaboration between choir and band programs.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the instrumental parts carefully so they enhance rather than overshadow the choir; recorded accompaniment tracks help establish this proportion.
- Coordinate rhythmic precision between the oboe and bassoon to lock the harmonic foundation while the choir sits on top.
- Shape the guitar and saxophone lines with slight rhythmic flexibility to keep the texture warm and conversational, especially if you're doubling any choral parts with instruments.
How to use it
Fit this into a holiday or winter concert alongside more traditional seasonal fare, or program it as a contemporary secular alternative to purely Christmas-centered winter repertoire. The modular instrumentation makes it ideal for pop-up performances across different concert configurations throughout the season.
Skills your students will build
- Blending sustained choral tone with instrumental doublings
- Maintaining phrase shape across sectional instrument breaks
- Reading and responding to flexible orchestration choices