Three Shakespeare Settings: 3-Part Mixed, a cappella Choral Octavo

Name: Three Shakespeare Settings: 3-Part Mixed, a cappella Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-27397
Price: 2.95 USD
Availability: InStock

It Was a Lover and His Lass / Take, O, Take Those Lips Away / Under the Greenwood Tree

Lyrics by William Shakespeare, music by Sally K. Albrecht

Item: 00-27397

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This three-in-one publication includes choral settings of three Shakespeare texts: "It Was a Lover and His Lass" (in a madrigal style), "Take, O, Take Those Lips Away" (a lush, slow setting), and "Under the Greenwood Tree" (a light, energetic 6/8 piece). These works are written exclusively for 3-part mixed voices and are very accessible for today's developing choirs. Outstanding literature for concert, festivals, or adjudications.

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Series: Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 16

UPC: 038081296562

SKU: 00-27397

More about this title

About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht has shaped American choral music for over three decades, first as Director of School Choral, Vocal, and Elementary Publications at Alfred Music and continuing as one of today's most performed choral composers. Her catalog exceeds 600 published choral works alongside 75 larger songbooks and musicals, and she has received the ASCAP Special Music Award annually since 1987. She has led honor choirs and festivals at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center, bringing her distinctive approach to choral expression and movement to directors and students nationwide.

A graduate of Rollins College with degrees in Music and Theater, Albrecht earned both an M.A. in Drama and an M.M. in Accompanying from the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She has taught at Oakland University, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College, and in 2021 received the Distinguished Alumna Award from both the University of Miami and Rollins College, where she now serves on the Board of Trustees. She lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina, with her husband, composer and arranger Jay Althouse.

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Why we love this

Albrecht's gift for accessibility without condescension shines across all three settings. Each piece stands alone as a complete concert work, yet the collection gives you a full program's worth of contrasting material, and the 6/8 energy of "Under the Greenwood Tree" makes a particularly satisfying closer. Developing choirs will find genuine musicality in every part without getting bogged down in technical obstacles.

What to expect

These three pieces offer a journey through Renaissance sensibility without requiring singers to navigate archaic language. The madrigal opens with playful charm, the slow setting invites genuine emotional investment, and the final piece bounces with genuine joy. Each voice part feels singable and rewarding, giving every singer something to hold onto.

Who it's for

This collection is ideal for developing choral programs in grades 6-12 that need literature that sounds mature without requiring advanced vocal technique. Directors looking to program multiple contrasting pieces by a single, trusted composer will find the variety here economical and cohesive. Choirs preparing for festivals, adjudications, or concert programs benefit from three distinct musical styles in one octavo.

How to get the most out of it

Let the madrigal style of "It Was a Lover and His Lass" breathe naturally; the text should feel conversational rather than metrically rigid, especially in the interplay between parts.
Shape "Take, O, Take Those Lips Away" around the arch of its phrases rather than pushing for volume; the lushness comes from resonant vowels and careful balance, not dynamic force.
Keep the rhythmic drive steady in "Under the Greenwood Tree" without letting the 6/8 feel rushed; a clear pulse in the accompaniment part (hummed or lightly played if allowed) helps younger singers lock in.

How to use it

Program all three together for a thematic concert celebrating Shakespeare's wit and wisdom, letting the contrasting tempos and textures carry the audience through the evening. Alternatively, use the madrigal and lighter pieces as concert openers to warm up the ensemble and audience, or close a program with "Under the Greenwood Tree" for a send-off that leaves singers and listeners smiling. The slow setting works equally well as a standalone festival piece or as the emotional heart of a larger concert.