Don't Start Now: SAB Choral Octavo

Alan Billingsley's SAB arrangement captures the irresistible groove of the original while keeping the voicing clean and singable across a typical mixed chorus. The optional alto solo feature gives your strongest singers a moment to shine without requiring specialized vocal training, and the rhythmic precision required to nail that nu-disco feel keeps the entire ensemble engaged and accountable.

Propulsive and celebratory. The nu-disco production style creates an irresistible forward momentum, while the subject matter of post-breakup resilience gives the performance a joyful defiance. Your singers will feel the confidence and energy in every phrase.

Choirs of mixed voices (treble and lower voices) looking for contemporary repertoire that resonates with singers and audiences alike. This arrangement works well for groups comfortable with rhythmic precision and modern idioms, from middle school through adult community choirs.

• Anchor the ensemble on the percolating funk bassline. Have the basses and lower altos lock onto that groove first in sectionals; once that pocket is solid, the upper voices will sit naturally above it.
• Treat the cowbell rhythm as a percussion part your singers must mirror. If you have a live percussionist, align their cowbell placement with the choral rhythm; if you're using the recorded accompaniment, have the ensemble listen for it and lock in tight.
• Shape the dynamic string bursts marked in the score with clean, coordinated attacks and releases. These brief swells create the energy that makes the arrangement pop, so avoid letting them drag or blur.
• If featuring a soloist, ensure they have confidence in their independence. This song celebrates that feeling, so the solo passages should sound assured and separated from the ensemble, not tentative or buried.

Program this as a pops concert centerpiece or a spring concert highlight that shifts the mood to something contemporary and uplifting. It pairs well alongside other modern pop arrangements if you're building a themed set, or it stands alone as a statement piece that shows your choir's range and connection to current music.

• Locking rhythmic precision in grooves built on subdivisions of the beat
• Balancing homophonic and solo textures within a single arrangement
• Matching the articulation and phrasing of electronic and funk-influenced production styles
• Ensemble cohesion when singing syncopated rhythmic figures across all three parts