Yo Vivo Cantando: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Althouse writes with choirs' actual voices in mind, and it shows here. The Latin-jazz harmonies sit naturally in your singers' ranges without requiring them to navigate treacherous voice leading, so they can focus on locking into the infectious rhythm and celebrating the piece's joyful bilingual message. The combination of accessibility and authentic style means your ensemble will sound polished fast.

Uplifting and rhythmically alive, with the warmth of Spanish language woven through English text in a way that feels natural rather than forced. The harmonic color is contemporary and jazz-inflected but never complicated, creating a piece that feels both stylistically current and deeply singable.

This octavo works for mixed choirs at the high school and adult levels, and for experienced middle school ensembles with solid rhythmic foundation. Directors seeking accessible yet musically substantial Latin and multicultural repertoire will find an immediate fit.

• Anchor the rhythm section first. Get your bass line and percussion locked in on the clave pattern before layering in the choral parts; everything else will click into place once that foundation is solid.
• Balance the Spanish and English lyrics with equal conviction. Neither should feel translated or secondary; treat both languages as equally expressive from your singers' mouths.
• Lean into the jazz voicings without forcing them. The harmonies are designed to sit comfortably, so trust the voice leading and keep the sound natural rather than overly polished.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to establish tempo and feel early in rehearsal. Let singers hear what the Latin rhythm context sounds like before they begin adding their own parts.

Program this as an opener or set-closer when you want energy and accessibility without sacrificing musical substance. It pairs beautifully with other world music or contemporary secular pieces and works equally well as a concert feature or festival selection.

• Singing in Spanish with idiomatic phrasing
• Rhythmic precision in Latin-jazz styles
• Jazz harmony voicing and balance
• Code-switching between English and Spanish text
• Listening to and responding to percussion/clave patterns