Almost Like Being In Love (from Brigadoon) (arr. Roger Emerson): 2-Part Choral Octavo

Roger Emerson's two-part arrangement opens this famous duet to singers at every level, preserving the warmth and directness that makes the song so immediately appealing. The straightforward voice leading allows young singers to experience real four-part harmony concepts without drowning in complexity, while the melody itself carries enough personality that even a fresh choir sounds confident and musical.

Warm, hopeful, and gently romantic. The melody has a conversational quality that makes it feel less like a formal song and more like two people sharing a moment. There's sweetness here without sentimentality, optimism without naiveté.

This arrangement works beautifully for middle school through early high school choirs building confidence with accessible Broadway repertoire. It's also a solid choice for community and adult choirs looking for material that feels theatrical without demanding advanced musicianship.

• Encourage singers to shape the phrases as if they're having a conversation. This is a song about two people discovering connection, not a concert piece to be posed. Let the natural speech rhythms of the lyrics guide your phrasing and breath placement.
• Balance the harmony parts with the melody line, but don't bury them. The supporting voices need to be heard clearly enough that singers understand how they fit into the vertical sonority.
• Take time with the middle section. The emotional content deepens there, and rushing through it robs the piece of its tenderness.

Pair this with other theater literature to build a pops or Broadway-themed concert, or use it as a bridge between classical and contemporary styles when you're introducing singers to musical theater conventions. It also serves as an excellent teaching piece for understanding how theatrical writing differs from art song.

• Balancing melody and harmony parts in pop and theater contexts
• Shaping phrases using lyrical and conversational speech patterns
• Reading and interpreting text for theatrical expression
• Singing sustained tones while maintaining forward harmonic motion