All The Things You Are: SATB Choral Octavo

Mark Hayes's arrangement captures the lush harmonic sophistication of Kern's original without overwhelming student singers. The SATB voicing sits naturally across the ranges, making this accessible enough for good high school choirs while maintaining the jazz standard's inherent elegance.

Sophisticated without being pretentious. The piece carries a sense of yearning lyricism punctuated by understated jazz harmony that feels both timeless and decidedly twentieth century. Performing it conveys genuine artistry rather than technical showmanship.

High school choirs and collegiate chamber ensembles seeking repertoire that spans the musical theater and jazz standards canon. Singers who have solid intonation and understand jazz inflection will find this arrangement particularly rewarding.

• Balance the melody between voice parts so that the tune emerges clearly even when multiple sections carry it. This prevents the piece from becoming a wash of harmony.
• Shape the phrase contours with gentle dynamic swells rather than dramatic peaks. Kern's melodies breathe best when singers think in long lines.
• Articulate the jazz standard's rhythmic character without rushing; the swing lies in the relaxation, not the urgency.
• Use the recorded accompaniment as a learning tool early, but work toward confident unaccompanied singing so harmonies lock internally.

Pair this with other Kern standards or contemporary jazz arrangements in a concert built around the Great American Songbook. It also works beautifully as a sophisticated encore that showcases choir musicianship without requiring elaborate staging.

• Singing in a jazz style with appropriate phrasing and swing rhythm
• Voice leading awareness through four part SATB texture
• Harmonic literacy related to jazz chord changes and substitutions
• Balancing independent melodic lines within an ensemble texture
• Interpreting music across the musical theater and standards repertoire