Winter Has Come: SATB Choral Octavo
Words and music by Ruth Morris Gray
Item: 00-PO-0001337
$1.80
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
The poetry of this expressive winter song provides a florid description of the season's most distinct attributes. Warm choral harmonies are a stark contrast to the icy imagery, and an optional flute obbligato floats above.
A NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER
In December 2011, I directed my intermediate-level mixed choir in a performance of two of my new Alfred publications. We opened with the traditional "Carol of the Bells," then performed "Winter Has Come" and "Rise Up and Follow that Star." The set worked really well. "Winter Has Come" was a lovely lyrical contrast to the quick opening piece, and allowed me to feature an outstanding student flutist. "Rise Up and Follow that Star" made a terrific closer! I had the choir open singing forte (instead of mezzo-forte as marked) and all 60 singers lifted up their hands on each "rise up!" We grabbed the audience's attention with the first line--I saw several people almost jump out of their seats. They loved it!
A NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER
In December 2011, I directed my intermediate-level mixed choir in a performance of two of my new Alfred publications. We opened with the traditional "Carol of the Bells," then performed "Winter Has Come" and "Rise Up and Follow that Star." The set worked really well. "Winter Has Come" was a lovely lyrical contrast to the quick opening piece, and allowed me to feature an outstanding student flutist. "Rise Up and Follow that Star" made a terrific closer! I had the choir open singing forte (instead of mezzo-forte as marked) and all 60 singers lifted up their hands on each "rise up!" We grabbed the audience's attention with the first line--I saw several people almost jump out of their seats. They loved it!
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0001337
Instrumentation:
Opt. Flute
More about this title
About the Composer: Ruth Morris Gray
Ruth Morris Gray serves as Director of Choirs at Rosemead High School in California, where she has taught piano and choir since 2004. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Composition from Biola University and a Master of Arts in Music Composition from UC Santa Barbara, credentials that inform both her teaching and her prolific output of over 100 published choral works.
Beyond the classroom and rehearsal hall, Gray is an active performer and composer whose work reflects her understanding of what intermediate and advanced choirs can achieve. Her interests span travel, swimming, reading, and cycling with her husband, Douglas, offering the kind of life experience that enriches her musical voice.
Why we love this
Gray understands how to program a cohesive set; she composed this piece specifically to function as a lyrical center in a concert pairing. The warm harmonies create an immediate contrast to driving pieces like "Carol of the Bells," and the optional flute obbligato provides a natural solo feature moment without requiring additional soloists or rehearsal overhead. Directors will appreciate how the writing sits comfortably for intermediate mixed voices while still delivering genuine musical substance.
What to expect
This is winter seen through warm light. The poetry evokes frost, snow, and stillness, yet the harmonies wrap around those images with color and softness rather than bleakness. The optional flute adds an ethereal shimmer, like light catching ice crystals, creating a piece that feels intimate and lyrical even as it holds the ensemble together through fuller choral textures.
Who it's for
Intermediate to advancing mixed choirs seeking repertoire with genuine musical substance and programmatic flexibility. Directors working with singers who have basic harmonic security and a flutist who can handle an independent line will find this piece rewarding; it works equally well as a concert anchor or part of a thematic set.
How to get the most out of it
- Feature the flutist from rehearsal one. The obbligato floats above the choir rather than weaving through it, so your flute player can shine without fighting for clarity, and the choir remains secure in the harmonic foundation.
- Balance the contrast between text and music intentionally. The icy imagery paired with warm harmonies works only if the choir leans into legit tone and connected phrasing rather than racing through the poetry.
- Shape the piece with dynamic sensitivity. Mezzo-forte as marked prevents the piece from overwhelming a more intimate program slot, but find the moments where careful crescendo will lift the listener into the season's atmosphere.
How to use it
Position this as a lyrical interlude between more rhythmically driven or dramatic pieces. Gray composed it specifically to provide contrast in a concert set, making it ideal for opening a second half or following a festive carol. The 12-page length and intermediate difficulty keep rehearsal time reasonable while delivering enough musical substance to justify its place in a winter concert.
Skills your students will build
- Singing sustained, warm harmonies in four-part mixed voicing
- Balancing lyrical text expression with harmonic precision
- Breathing and phrasing across longer melodic lines
- Accompanying and supporting an independent instrumental obbligato