We Are the Music: SAB Choral Octavo

Strommen writes music that respects the choir without demanding technical virtuosity. The straightforward harmonies and accessible vocal lines let singers focus on expressing the text's genuine sentiment about music's transformative power, rather than wrestling with range or part independence. This piece becomes a natural focal point for any concert celebrating music itself.

The piece radiates warmth and affirmation. Melodic lines sit comfortably in the voice, allowing singers to sound confident and full rather than stretched. Harmonies support rather than challenge, creating a sense of unity that mirrors the collective power the text celebrates.

School choirs of all levels will find accessible material here. The SAB voicing works for middle school ensembles developing blend and balance, high school choirs in transition seasons, and concert choirs seeking straightforward yet meaningful repertoire. Directors programming Music in Our Schools Month or thematic concerts centered on the role of music will find ready-made content.

• Encourage singers to connect physically with the movement and staging elements; these gestures ground the text's abstract ideas about music into something tangible the audience can see and understand.
• Balance the three parts carefully so no single line overwhelms the others. The 'logical harmonies' work best when each voice contributes equally to the whole sound.
• Let the text guide phrasing and dynamics. Phrases like 'explain a sunrise' invite lyricism; use breath placement and slight tempo flexibility to color the imagery.
• Rehearse the piece with and without the staging to build security in the music before layering in movement.

Open a Music in Our Schools Month concert with this as your thematic anchor, or use it as the closing statement of any spring or winter concert to reflect on what your singers have accomplished together. The built-in movement and staging make it compelling as a concert moment that engages an audience beyond the purely musical.

• Singing sustained lines with supported tone and breath control
• Balancing three-part harmony without one voice dominating
• Integrating movement with singing to enhance textual expression
• Shaping phrases according to poetic imagery