Ye Shall Have a Song: SATB Choral Octavo
Music by Sherri Porterfield
Item: 00-PO-0006490
$1.65
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
A vibrant, driving rhythmic concert work with full vocal writing throughout featuring powerful dynamic changes. Great for general or seasonal concerts, festivals, and contests, especially as a concert opener or closer. Could be your concert "theme." Another choral winner from Sherri Porterfield.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0006490
More about this title
About the Composer: Sherri Porterfield
Sherri Porterfield directs choirs at Cedar Park Middle School in Cedar Park, Texas, where she has built a program with a strong track record in state competitions and music educators conventions. Her teaching career spans Missouri, Kansas, and Texas, and she has also served as an adjunct assistant professor of music education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. She earned her B.S.E. in music education from the University of Memphis and her Master of Music in choral conducting from UMKC.
With more than 175 published choral compositions to her credit, Porterfield has maintained an active voice in choral music since the late 1990s, earning yearly ASCAP awards for her compositions. She has worked extensively as a clinician and guest conductor with honor choirs across the country and holds memberships in the Texas Music Educators Association, American Choral Directors Association, and ASCAP. Her recognition includes selection to Who's Who Among America's Teachers and Who's Who in America, as well as Teacher of the Year honors.
Why we love this
Porterfield writes for choirs that want to move audiences. This piece combines rhythmic drive with full harmonic color throughout all four parts, giving every voice real work to do rather than relegating anyone to a supporting role. Its flexible concert positioning makes it equally at home as an opener that grabs attention or a closer that sends the audience out energized.
What to expect
Energy and momentum characterize this work from start to finish. The driving rhythmic feel propels the piece forward, while the dynamic shifts create peaks and valleys that keep the listener engaged. This is concert music designed to make an impression, with enough harmonic interest to reward close listening and enough forward motion to satisfy an audience looking for vitality.
Who it's for
This octavo works for choirs with solid fundamental skills in reading and balance. High school choirs, college non-majors ensembles, and advanced middle school choirs will find material that challenges without overwhelming. Directors seeking a secular work that reads as substantial and polished for festival or contest programming will appreciate Porterfield's craftsmanship.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the rhythmic foundation early in rehearsal by isolating the beat patterns without worrying about pitch, then layer in the melody and harmony. This piece demands precision in its rhythmic profile.
- Shape the dynamic arc across phrases rather than treating each marked change as a sudden switch. Porterfield's dynamic markings drive the emotional trajectory, so rehearse the transitions deliberately.
- Balance the full four-part writing so that no single line dominates. With twelve pages of consistent SATB texture, singers need to hear themselves as part of a unified sound, not as individual parts.
- Consider the rehearsal order of sections carefully. Some directors find it efficient to learn the rhythmic and harmonic framework before polishing diction and text interpretation.
How to use it
Program this as a concert opener to establish tone and capture immediate attention, or place it as a finale to send audiences home with rhythmic energy still resonating. Its secular nature and substantial length make it suitable for festival competition, state convention showcase, or general concert programming alongside other significant works. The dramatic arc also positions it well as a season theme or signature piece if your program runs multiple concerts.
Skills your students will build
- Rhythmic precision in syncopated and driving passages
- Dynamic control and shaping across full-choir textures
- Part independence and balance in four-part writing
- Sustained vocal stamina through extended SATB passages
- Interpretation of text-driven emotional and dynamic cues