Whisper! Whisper! (Baby Born Today): 3-Part Mixed, a cappella Choral Octavo
Words and music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PO-0002469
$2.25
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
Another memorable Christmas spiritual from Jay Althouse. Strong dynamic contrasts (from "Whisper, whisper, tiny baby in a manger lay" to "Shout it out from the hills and valleys; baby born today") make this a winner for your choir. A lush middle section contrasts with the rhythmic excitement of the opening theme. Brief, easy solos for both a male and female singer. A cappella.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
8
SKU:
00-PO-0002469
More about this title
About the Composer: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse studied music education and music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was later honored as a Distinguished Alumni award recipient. Early in his career, he worked for eight years as a rights and licenses administrator at a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America.
As a composer, Althouse has created more than 800 choral works performed widely across the English-speaking world. His output spans children's musicals (co-written with his wife, Sally K. Albrecht), vocal solo collections including Folk Songs for Solo Singers, and pedagogical texts like The Complete Choral Warm-up Book and Accent on Composers. He is a writer member of ASCAP and a regular recipient of the ASCAP Special Award. Beyond composition, Althouse has contributed to music education through reproducible classroom resources and service on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America. He resides in North Carolina.
Why we love this
The dramatic arc here is what makes this spiritual sing. Moving from tender whispers to jubilant shouts gives your choir a genuine emotional journey to execute, and the contrasting middle section provides musical relief that keeps the piece engaging. Althouse's gift for accessible writing means your mixed voices will sound polished without requiring advanced vocal technique.
What to expect
The piece captures the hushed intimacy of witnessing something sacred, then bursts into celebration. There's a spiritual reverence in the opening that gives way to a jubilant proclamation, with a gorgeous harmonic interlude that lets listeners pause and reflect before the final excitement.
Who it's for
Choirs with mixed voices (SAB) looking for a Christmas spiritual with accessibility and real emotional range. This works equally well for high school, college, and community choirs that want something memorable without excessive rehearsal demands.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the dynamic contrast as a structural feature, not an afterthought. The opening whispers need genuine softness and focus to make the later shouting feel earned and powerful.
- Balance the easy solos carefully. These brief moments belong to individuals, but they're part of the larger texture, so the choir should support them without overshadowing.
- Let the middle section breathe. Its lush quality depends on singers actually finding the legit and allowing longer phrase lines to expand before the rhythmic excitement returns.
How to use it
Program this as a mid-concert offering in a Christmas set, where its quiet opening provides contrast to more robust arrangements and its joyful closing flows naturally into a full ensemble finale. It also works beautifully as a standalone piece for smaller holiday performances where you want to showcase mixed voices.
Skills your students will build
- Dynamic control across a wide range (from ppp to ff)
- Balancing solo and ensemble voices in a cappella context
- Sustaining legit singing through a lush harmonic section
- Rhythmic precision and energy in the opening and closing themes