The Water Is Wide: 2-Part Choral Octavo

Name: The Water Is Wide: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-48993
Price: 2.50 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

American Folk Song / arr., with adapted words, by Andy Beck

Item: 00-48993

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Thoughtfully crafted to make your 2-part singers sound their best, this Andy Beck arrangement reads like a solid choral lesson plan, with built-in teaching tools. The lyrical tune is sung first in unison, then in canon, a gentle call and response bridge introduces a new key, eventually some parallel harmonies arrive, and an optional middle note at the end offers one three-part chord. Adapted lyrics honor "the bond of friend to friend."

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, The Water Is Wide: 2-Part Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 12

UPC: 038081563176

SKU: 00-48993

More about this title

About the Arranger: Andy Beck

Andy Beck directs choral publications at Alfred Music and has established himself as one of the most performed arrangers in American choral music, with over 450 works currently in print across choral settings, vocal resources, and children's musicals. His pedagogical materials, including Sing at First Sight, Foundations in Choral Sight Singing, and Vocalize! 45 Vocal Warm-Ups That Teach Technique, are standard references in music education.

Beyond the page, Beck maintains an active presence as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician for schools and honor choirs across the United States and internationally. He holds degrees in music education from Ithaca College and Northwest Missouri State University, and his background as a tenor, musical theatre director, and member of the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir informs his deep understanding of what makes choral music both singable and artistically meaningful.

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Why we love this

Beck has engineered a piece that teaches through its own architecture. The progression from unison to canon to new key to parallel harmonies unfolds organically, making each structural choice transparent to singers; they're not just learning harmony, they're discovering it within a beloved melody. The adapted lyrics centering friendship and human connection give singers something meaningful to sing about, which transforms a traditional folk tune into a genuine emotional statement.

What to expect

Intimate and contemplative, the arrangement honors the original tune's lyrical simplicity while introducing singers to the architecture of composition itself. Unison gives way to layered textures, creating a sense of movement and discovery without losing the folk song's essential warmth and accessibility.

Who it's for

Directors working with developing 2-part ensembles, particularly middle school or early high school choirs gaining confidence with basic harmony concepts. The piece also serves singers preparing for festival or concert performance without excessive technical demands.

How to get the most out of it

Let the unison opening breathe. This is where your ensemble finds the tune's character and locks the text together; resist the urge to rush into the canon.
Shape the call and response bridge as a conversation between sections. The key change creates natural momentum, so use dynamics and slight tempo flexibility to highlight this moment of departure.
Balance the parallel harmonies carefully in the final section. The added middle note option (creating the optional three-part chord) works best when both parts are present but the lower voice sits slightly back.

How to use it

Position this as a conversation starter on your concert program. Its gentle emotional core makes it perfect opposite a more dramatic selection, and the friendship theme works especially well for events celebrating ensemble unity or community. The short length (12 pages) also makes it an ideal closer for festival competitions where a poised, well-crafted ending leaves adjudicators with a strong final impression.