A Gershwin Portrait! The Music of George and Ira Gershwin: SATB Choral Octavo
The Music of George and Ira Gershwin
Words and music by George and Ira Gershwin / arr. Mac Huff
Item: 00-PO-0003559
$8.99
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
One moment…
Description
A Gershwin Portrait! The Music of George and Ira Gershwin: SATB Choral Octavo isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
80
SKU:
00-PO-0003559
More about this title
About the Composer: George Gershwin
George Gershwin (1898–1937) revolutionized American music by collapsing the wall between concert hall and popular song. A composer of symphonic works, opera, film scores, and standards, Gershwin brought jazz idioms, blues inflection, and vernacular melody into classical forms at a time when few took such fusion seriously. His influence on choral music comes not from orchestral works alone but from the enduring songs he crafted with his brother and lyricist Ira, many of which have become the backbone of the American songbook.
Ira Gershwin (1896–1983) was one of the finest lyricists in American theater. His collaboration with his brother George shaped the sound of Broadway and film music for decades. Their partnership produced some of the most singable, witty, and emotionally resonant songs ever written, and their work remains central to music education because it bridges popular culture and serious musicianship.
Why we love this
Mac Huff's arrangement distills the essential Gershwin spirit into an 80-page choral work that feels both substantial and singable. The octavo touches multiple moods and styles within a single program, letting your choir inhabit American song tradition without requiring operatic technique or lengthy rehearsal time. A collection this well-crafted serves repertoire goals while actually energizing singers who recognize these melodies.
What to expect
A gently sophisticated stroll through American musical theater. The arrangement honors Gershwin's gift for melody while creating choral colors and harmonic textures that feel modern yet timeless. Singing this music feels like belonging to a tradition; it settles into the voice naturally.
Who it's for
Choirs with solid reading skills and comfortable blend will find this octavo rewarding. Directors seeking a multi-movement work that showcases American song tradition and gives all voice parts meaningful material will return to this arrangement again and again.
How to get the most out of it
- Lean into the rhythmic freedom of jazz-influenced passages; these songs thrive when singers feel the swing rather than square up to the beat.
- Use the recorded accompaniment strategically during early rehearsals to establish harmonic context, then gradually build independence in your voice parts.
- Attend to diction clarity in fast passages and in moments with conversational or comedic text; Gershwin's wit lives in the words.
- Balance blend with characterization. SATB voicing here often creates conversational or sectional moments; let those textures breathe rather than forcing uniform sound.
How to use it
This works beautifully as a complete set within a concert, or sections can anchor a program built around American music, standards, or 20th-century American song. The 80 pages give you flexibility to program multiple Gershwin songs as a suite or to weave individual selections into a diverse concert.
Skills your students will build
- Jazz vocabulary and swing rhythm interpretation
- Stylistic contrast between balladic and uptempo material
- Independent part-singing within a four-part texture that often divides conversationally
- Diction and character in comedic and sophisticated lyrical moments
- Harmonic listening in blues-tinged and chromatic passages