The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls: SAB Choral Octavo
Words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, music by Janet Gardner
Item: 00-PO-0002324
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
Pickup currently not available
Description
Canonic vocal lines cascade over each other like ocean waves in this expressive literature-based piece. Compound meter, a modal melody, and substantial vocabulary words provide appropriate challenges for intermediate students. Accompaniment included on PianoTrax 2 CD (00-31290).
The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls: SAB Choral Octavo isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0002324
More about this title
About the Composer: Janet Gardner
Janet Gardner's 33 years teaching elementary general music in Montevideo, Minnesota shaped her gift for writing accessible yet substantive choral literature. She earned her Bachelor's degree in music education from Concordia College in Moorhead and spent her career mentoring young musicians while developing her compositional voice, eventually earning the title of Minnesota Music Classroom Teacher of the Year in 1995.
Beyond the classroom, Gardner has established herself as a prolific composer whose work spans musicals (Bones!, Broadway Santa, The Granny Awards, The Phantom of the Music Room) and choral pieces published by Alfred. She served as chairperson of the Minnesota Elementary Composition Contest for six years and was a featured clinician at music conventions and workshops throughout the United States and Canada. Since retiring from teaching in 2006, she continues composing in Montevideo, where she also serves as a church musician and board member of the Minnesota Valley Community Concert Association.
Why we love this
Gardner's use of canonic writing here feels organic and poetic rather than formulaic, allowing the SAB voicing to shimmer with overlapping melodic lines that genuinely evoke the text's imagery. The modal melody and compound meter elevate the piece beyond simple three-part writing while remaining firmly within the reach of developing singers who need the intellectual challenge.
What to expect
Cascading vocal lines move like waves rolling in and receding, creating a sense of natural motion and restfulness. The modal melody floats gently over the accompaniment, evoking the quiet rhythm of the tide while the canonic texture builds emotional depth and texture.
Who it's for
Intermediate SAB choirs ready to engage with literary texts and modal melodic writing. This piece works well for singers who have solid sight-reading skills and can navigate compound meter without excessive scaffolding.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the canonic entrances carefully during rehearsal by isolating each voice part in turn, then bringing voices in gradually to hear how each melodic layer sits within the whole.
- Lean into the modal character of the melody; resist the urge to apply traditional major or minor tonality expectations to phrasing.
- Attend closely to the vocabulary of the poetic text and encourage singers to understand and shape phrases around word meaning rather than mechanical subdivision.
- Use the recorded accompaniment from PianoTrax 2 to establish the harmonic foundation and compound meter feel before requiring singers to lock in independently.
How to use it
Pair this with other nature-inspired or literature-based pieces for a thematic concert that explores how composers translate words and imagery into sound. Its expressive quality and modest forces make it an excellent choice for spring concerts or programs emphasizing contemporary choral artistry.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and sustaining canonic lines while maintaining melodic independence
- Singing in compound meter (likely 6/8 based on tidal rhythm imagery)
- Interpreting modal melody and understanding how it differs from major/minor tonality
- Comprehending and expressing substantial vocabulary through musical phrasing
- Balancing harmonic texture when multiple melodic lines overlap