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The Water Is Wide: PianoTrax Digital Download

$9.99 USD
$9.99 USD
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The Water Is Wide Cover Image
The Water Is Wide: PianoTrax Digital Download

The Water Is Wide: PianoTrax Digital Download

American Folk Song / arr. Jay Althouse

Item: 00-A-00016435
$9.99
Digital Download

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
UPC: 0
SKU: 00-A-00016435

More about this title

About the Arranger: Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse

Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni award. His career spans both publishing and composition; he spent eight years managing rights and licenses for a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. Today he has over 800 choral compositions in print, performed regularly across the English-speaking world.

Althouse's work extends beyond composition into advocacy and scholarship. He is a writer member of ASCAP and a consistent recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his contributions to standard music. He has co-authored children's musicals with his wife Sally K. Albrecht, compiled vocal solo collections including Folk Songs for Solo Singers, and written instructional resources such as The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers. His commitment to folk music and American culture is reflected in his service on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.

Why we love this

Althouse's arrangement captures the timeless melancholy and intimacy of this folk classic while keeping it accessible for mixed choirs at festival level. The SATB voicing allows sections to breathe together without requiring advanced vocal technique, making it rewarding to teach and genuinely moving to perform. This is the kind of repertoire that stays with singers long after the season ends.

What to expect

Quiet and reflective, with the weight of longing beneath every phrase. The folk melody unfolds with the inevitability of a story already known, yet the arrangement invites listeners into moments of unexpected harmonic color that deepen rather than overshadow the tune's essential simplicity.

Who it's for

Mixed choirs preparing for competition or festival performance who want to showcase emotional maturity and musical integrity without excessive technical demands. Intermediate to advanced ensembles will find this arrangement substantive enough to program with confidence while newer groups can build genuine musicality through its straightforward harmonic language.

How to get the most out of it

  • Establish a warm, connected legit sound in the opening phrases; the text 'water is wide' demands unhurried breath support and an unforced tone throughout.
  • Shape the melodic line through subtle dynamic variation rather than abrupt changes; folk material responds well to organic phrasing that mirrors natural speech patterns.
  • Balance the inner voices carefully so they support rather than compete with the melody; Althouse's arranging allows each part its moment without crowding the texture.

How to use it

This works beautifully as a moment of repose in a varied concert program, especially when placed between more energetic pieces. It also pairs well with other folk arrangements or American repertoire, allowing you to build a thematic set around traditional music.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustaining legit vocal tone without tension across extended phrases
  • Balancing melody and accompaniment voices in folk-influenced harmony
  • Responding to text with emotional authenticity and appropriate phrasing
  • Ensemble blend within SATB voicing

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