Don't Wanna Lose You: SAB Choral Octavo

Greg Gilpin's arrangement captures the emotional core of this Grammy-nominated ballad while keeping the voicing accessible for mixed choirs. The optional Spanish lyrics add authentic cultural texture and give your singers a chance to explore bilingual performance, which feels especially relevant when programming music by Latinx artists.

A generous, sweeping ballad that moves from tender vulnerability to full vocal power. The piece carries the warmth of its origin story while maintaining the emotional sincerity that made it resonate across decades and generations.

This arrangement works for intermediate to advanced SAB choirs looking to program contemporary pop with substance. Directors seeking pieces that connect to musical theater, celebrate Latinx composers, or offer bilingual performance opportunities will find strong material here.

• Balance the soloistic moments in the soprano line with supporting harmonies; the arrangement shines when the power ballad quality feels intimate rather than showy.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock tempos during rehearsal, particularly through the key modulation in the final section where energy builds significantly.
• If incorporating Spanish lyrics, attend carefully to vowel consistency across the sections so pronunciation feels unified and intentional.
• Shape the dynamic arc across the full 12 pages so the piece builds progressively; resist the urge to sing loudly early and leave no room for the final climax.

Program this in a concert celebrating women composers or Latinx artists in popular music. It pairs naturally with other contemporary pop arrangements or can anchor a set exploring musical theater repertoire. The emotional directness makes it a compelling closer to a concert's first half.

• Singing with legit tone in a pop idiom
• Balancing solo melody with ensemble harmony
• Working with bilingual text (Spanish and English)
• Managing dynamic contrast and phrase shaping in power ballads
• Navigating key modulation