All Star (As an English Madrigal) (arr. Nathan Howe): SSA Choral Octavo

Nathan Howe's madrigal treatment transforms this pop juggernaut into something genuinely surprising. Rather than simply arranging the melody in parts, he leans into the Renaissance form itself, letting the madrigal's contrapuntal traditions clash delightfully with the song's relentless modern energy. Your singers will feel the fun of the original while discovering how choral literature from 500 years ago remains structurally perfect for contemporary material.

Irreverent and clever. The arrangement honors both the swaggering confidence of the original recording and the intricate voice-leading traditions of the madrigal, creating a kind of delighted collision between centuries. Singers and audiences alike will grin at the unexpected sophistication hiding inside something so joyfully accessible.

SSA choirs seeking repertoire that entertains without sacrificing musical substance. This works equally well for high school choirs, college non-majors ensembles, and community groups ready for something playful yet compositionally engaging.

• Nail the syllabic text clarity early in rehearsal. The wordplay that makes "All Star" memorable only lands when audiences hear it crisply across all three voices.
• Balance the harmonic progressions carefully so the arrangement doesn't collapse into muddiness during tutti sections. Each voice needs independence even as they blend.
• Let the madrigal structure breathe. This isn't a pop song set to choral parts; the imitative entries and staggered phrasings are intentional compositional choices that deserve space to be heard.
• Consider how your singers physically sit or stand. The counterpoint becomes far more engaging when singers can see and respond to each other's lines in real time.

Program this as a statement piece on a concert that needs tonal variety and audience connection. It's particularly effective in mixed or cabaret-style programs where juxtaposition is already part of the artistic statement. The 15 pages suggest a piece substantial enough to matter programmatically while remaining short enough to pair thoughtfully with classical or contemporary repertoire.

• Renaissance imitative counterpoint applied to modern text
• Maintaining clear diction across independent melodic lines
• Harmonic independence and voice leading in SSA texture
• Stylistic versatility and genre code-switching
• Collaborative listening and ensemble awareness