Uma Familia: SATB Choral Octavo
Music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0004208
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
No nation better represents the mixing of "world" music than Brazil, and the pure harmonies and silky melodies of its pop music have never gone out of style. Jay Althouse recreates this Brazilian feel with Uma Familia ("We are one family"). The text, which reminds us "we are all one great family, one people," is in English with a single phrase in Portuguese. It's fresh, timely, and a joy to sing. And the "world music" sounding SoundTrax captures the joy that is Brazil. A cross-cultural gem.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0004208
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 Alumnus. Early in his career, he spent eight years in rights and licensing administration at a major educational music publisher, serving simultaneously on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America.
As a composer, Althouse has over 800 choral works in circulation across all ability levels, performed consistently throughout English-speaking countries. His output spans commissioned pieces, collaborative musicals with his wife Sally K. Albrecht, vocal collections like Folk Songs for Solo Singers, and influential pedagogical texts including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers. His choral composition I Hear America Singing, co-written with Albrecht, was performed at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs. Althouse is a writer member of ASCAP and a regular recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his work in standard music composition. He currently advises the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America and contributes regularly to their quarterly publication.
Why we love this
Althouse crafts this piece with genuine warmth rather than exoticism. The text's quiet insistence on human connection, paired with that unmistakable Brazilian lilt, makes for repertoire that feels both accessible and meaningful. Your singers will want to perform this again and again.
What to expect
Warm and inviting, with that particular ease that comes from Brazilian pop's streamlined harmonies. The piece breathes naturally, never straining, and carries an undeniable sense of joy without relying on sentimentality.
Who it's for
Any SATB choir looking for contemporary secular repertoire with genuine multicultural substance. It works for intermediate and advanced high school choirs, college ensembles, and community groups who want something current that still respects vocal craftsmanship.
How to get the most out of it
- Let the recorded accompaniment establish the groove from the start. The rhythmic pocket is everything here; lock your ensemble into that feel before worrying about perfect intonation.
- Shape the Portuguese phrase with particular care. It's a moment to highlight the text's cultural specificity, so give it space and let singers breathe before and after.
- Avoid overloading the dynamics. Brazilian pop thrives on ease and flow, so resist the urge to push volume in your forte sections. Brightness works better than weight.
- Balance the SATB lines so the melody sings through while the harmonies remain lush. This isn't contrapuntal writing; it's meant to sparkle as a unified whole.
How to use it
This lands beautifully in concert programs celebrating diversity or global citizenship, especially when paired with other world music selections. It also works as an excellent closer to a concert that needs a unifying emotional moment. Consider it for spring concerts or end-of-year performances when you want your audience leaving with something hopeful and human.
Skills your students will build
- Singing across cultural styles and idiomatic phrasing in pop-influenced settings
- Sustaining ensemble blend in passages of close harmonic spacing
- Interpreting English text with clear communication while navigating a single Portuguese phrase
- Responding to recorded accompaniment and locking into a distinct rhythmic groove