Choral #FlashbackFriday Friday, July 28, 2017
recommended by Jen Sper and Alissa Ruth, School Choral Music Specialists
#FLASHBACKFRIDAY
Looking for some quality throwback pieces for your choir? We’re here to help!
FOR HIGH SCHOOL CHOIRS
It Had to Be You arr. Greg Gilpin
This classic, first published in 1924 and recorded by a wide variety of artists, is the perfect beginning-of-the-year jazz number for your SATB choir. It features accessible four part writing, a supportive piano accompaniment, and attainable (but still warm and colorful) jazz harmonies.
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOIRS
A Banana Split For My Baby arr. Rosana Eckert
This arrangement of the sweet Louis Prima tune presents the perfect opportunity to introduce and develop the vocal jazz style. The voice-leading has been approached with care, the ranges lie in a comfortable place, both melody and harmony are accessible for young singers, and there is a good blend of unison and part-writing. If you have a young show choir, this would be a fun piece to start off the year!
FOR MEN’S CHOIRS
It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me arr. Paul Langford
This Billy Joel piece, considered a rock and roll classic, transfers quite effectively into the choral medium. The feel of the piece is authentic to the original, and it keeps the high energy that the piece is known for. Often in men’s voicings, we’ve found that the melodies can be lost or obscured in the part writing, but that hasn’t happened here, and because of that, in addition to the nice blend of part writing and unison, this piece is one with which your men’s choir can find success.
FOR ELEMENTARY CHOIRS
We’ll Meet Again arr. Roger Emerson
This charming WWII era piece (recently featured on the last broadcast of the Colbert Report) would make an effective concert closer for your young choir. It utilizes appropriately light, bright ranges, primarily homophonic writing, and the sentiment is lovely (not to mention it provides the perfect opportunity for a little soft shoe).
For more information about these pieces, as well as other recommendations, visit our website or contact the Stanton’s Choral Department at 1-800-42-MUSIC, Ext. 1, or choral@stantons.com. We are excited to help with all of your sheet music needs!
About the Authors:
Alissa Ruth began working at Stanton’s in the summer of 2016. She is a former middle and high school choir director and holds a Bachelor of Music in Education degree from Capital University. She is an active choral singer in the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, as well as various choirs in the Columbus area, and she spends her free time running, doing yoga, cooking, and watching Netflix.
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.
