Dream a Little Dream of Me: 2-Part Choral Octavo

Andy Beck's arrangement captures something magical about this tune: it honors the original melody while making room for contemporary voices and instruments. The Debussy-inspired piano introduction gives you a distinctive musical moment that sets the piece apart from other standard arrangements, and the optional SoundPax instrumentation (ukulele, string bass, melodica) means you can shape the performance to match your ensemble's strengths.

The piece unfolds like a musical daydream. Piano and voice drift together with unhurried ease, suggesting late-night intimacy rather than grand gesturing. Even as the familiar melody takes shape, the arrangement maintains that gentle, almost impressionistic quality that makes the song feel both timeless and fresh.

This arrangement works for developing choirs ready to explore jazz-influenced repertoire and for advanced elementary through middle school ensembles seeking accessible material with contemporary appeal. Directors looking for a concert opener or finale that connects to popular culture will find this especially useful.

• Let the piano introduction breathe. The Debussy quotation works best when you resist rushing into the main melody; give accompanists space to establish that dreamy quality before voices enter.
• Balance the vocal line against the recorded accompaniment by finding the right monitor mix during rehearsal. This piece lives in the intimate space between singer and piano, so clarity matters more than volume.
• If adding the optional instrumental parts, rehearse them separately first so the string bass and ukulele lock rhythmically before layering them with the choir.
• Approach the lyrical content with genuine warmth rather than nostalgia. Your singers should connect to the message of the text, not perform it as a period piece.

Program this as an opening number to establish an evening's relaxed, sophisticated mood, or use it as a palate-cleanser between heavier works. The HBO connection and Nicole Kidman performance also give you natural talking points when promoting a concert to audiences less familiar with jazz standards.

• Singing jazz-influenced phrasing and rubato over a recorded accompaniment
• Blending two-part harmony while maintaining an intimate, conversational tone
• Balancing vocal tone in the upper register without pushing for volume
• Reading and performing with optional instrumental parts (ukulele, string bass, melodica)
• Interpreting impressionistic harmonic language influenced by 20th-century classical music