What Do the Stars Do? Cover Image

What Do the Stars Do?: SATB Choral Octavo

$2.25 USD
$2.25 USD
Skip to product information
What Do the Stars Do? Cover Image
What Do the Stars Do?: SATB Choral Octavo

What Do the Stars Do?: SATB Choral Octavo

Words by Christina Rossetti, music by Sherri Porterfield

Item: 00-19281
makemusic Cloud badge

Need it now?

Buy Digital Version
$2.25
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

What Do the Stars Do?: SATB Choral Octavo

$2.25
View

What Do the Stars Do?: SAB Choral Octavo

$2.25
View

What Do the Stars Do?: SSA Choral Octavo

$2.25
View
Description
New for SATB and SAB! Sherri Porterfield originally composed this touching setting of a Christina Rossetti poem for SSA voices. Now she's adapted it in two editions for mixed groups of all ages. It features classic choral writing exemplified by lovely harmonies and flowing melodies. Ideal for festivals and adjudications, it's also suitable for December concerts. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, What Do the Stars Do?: SATB Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.
Sample Pages

Sample Audio
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 038081179261
SKU: 00-19281

More about this title

About the Composer: Sherri Porterfield

Sherri Porterfield

Sherri Porterfield directs choirs at Cedar Park Middle School in Cedar Park, Texas, and has led award-winning ensembles across Missouri and Kansas. Her choirs have consistently earned first place and sweepstakes honors at competitions and performed at multiple state music educators conventions. She previously served as an adjunct assistant professor of music education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and has guest conducted honor choirs throughout the United States.

With over 175 published choral compositions to her name, Porterfield has maintained an active composing voice since the late 1990s, earning ASCAP awards annually for her writing. Her catalog appears in Alfred Music and other major publishers. She holds a B.S.E. in music education from the University of Memphis and a Master of Music in choral conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A four-time selection to Who's Who Among America's Teachers, she is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda national music honor society.

Why we love this

Porterfield's adaptation proves how thoughtfully a piece can be reimagined across different voicings without losing its essential character. The harmonies feel fresh yet accessible, and the flowing melodic lines give singers something genuinely beautiful to shape. This sits perfectly in that sweet spot for festival season: polished enough to make an impression on adjudicators but grounded in poetry that gives it real emotional weight.

What to expect

Contemplative and luminous, like watching light move through a clear night sky. The piece has an unhurried quality that invites singers to listen to one another while exploring Rossetti's poetry about wonder and the natural world. The harmonies create warmth without sentimentality.

Who it's for

SATB choirs of any age looking for a sacred piece with genuine melodic appeal and harmonic substance. This works equally well for middle school and high school groups, adult choirs, and mixed ensembles preparing for festivals, adjudications, or holiday programming.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the phrases through the harmonic progressions rather than forcing artificial breath breaks; let the chord changes guide your phrasing naturally.
  • Balance the upper voices carefully so the melody sings through without the sopranos dominating; Porterfield's writing distributes thematic material thoughtfully across the range.
  • Consider how the text setting reflects Christina Rossetti's contemplative tone; avoid rushing through passages that deserve a moment to resonate.
  • Use the 8-page length as an opportunity for clean, unhurried preparation; there's room here to refine intonation and blend without time pressure.

How to use it

Program this during December concerts alongside secular holiday music or other sacred pieces for balance. It also shines in festival settings where adjudicators value both compositional craft and emotional authenticity. The moderate length makes it a strong choice for a mixed program that needs a moment of reflection.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing sustained phrases with consistent intonation across parts
  • Balancing upper and lower voice parts in a four-part harmonic texture
  • Interpreting poetic imagery through phrasing and dynamic shaping
  • Achieving blend and balance in SATB writing

You May Also Like