What Do The Stars Do?: SSAB Choral Octavo

Tippette writes with a genuine understanding of what makes student choirs sing with joy. The piece balances accessibility with musical substance, giving singers a text that sparks curiosity while offering the composer enough harmonic and textural interest to hold an audience. For directors seeking secular repertoire that feels both contemporary and timeless, this hits a genuine sweet spot.

The piece carries an air of gentle wonder and contemplation. Rather than bombastic or overly clever, it invites singers and listeners alike into a moment of reflection about something we observe every night.

This work suits middle school through early high school choirs seeking accessible yet artistically engaging secular repertoire. Directors building mixed choirs or developing ensembles that sing primarily SSA voicings will find this particularly useful.

• Let the singers discover what the stars actually do in their own voices before you impose an interpretation. The piece invites genuine curiosity, so rehearse it as a question rather than a statement.
• Balance the blend across parts carefully; with SSA/SSAB voicing, the alto line can disappear without deliberate attention to weight and projection.
• Attend to the text painting throughout. Tippette likely uses harmonic and melodic choices to underscore the imagery, so singers who understand the poetic content will instinctively find the right colors.

Consider programming this as a standalone moment within a mixed concert, perhaps surrounded by more substantial choral works. Its introspective nature makes it an effective set closer or a thoughtful transition piece that shifts the emotional temperature of your program.

• Part independence within SSA/SSAB voicing
• Connecting text to musical expression
• Sustaining lyrical phrasing over longer phrases
• Blending and balancing within three or four-part harmony