Encanto (Choral Highlights) (arr. Roger Emerson): 2-Part Choral Octavo

Roger Emerson's arrangement captures the infectious energy of Encanto's score while keeping the voicing manageable for middle school and early high school choirs. Your singers already know these melodies, which means they can focus on blend, intonation, and storytelling rather than learning unfamiliar material. Programming this package gives you a full Encanto moment that feels both current and substantial.

Colorful and propulsive. The arrangements pulse with the same rhythmic vitality that made Encanto a phenomenon, trading complexity for directness without sacrificing musicality. Singing this feels like being inside the film itself, with all its warmth, humor, and moments of genuine emotional truth.

Middle school and early high school choirs looking for engaging contemporary material that students arrive already invested in. This arrangement works well for general music classes where engagement matters as much as technical challenge, and for programs building bridges between pop culture and choral singing.

• Keep the Latin percussion elements rhythmically tight. Even if you're singing without live drums, lock your internal pulse to the accompaniment's clave pattern so the groove feels intentional, not loose.
• Shape the melodic phrases by listening for where Miranda's lyrics breathe. The conversational rhythm of the text often reveals natural expression points that you shouldn't steamroll with constant vibrato.
• Balance the two parts so neither voice dominates. In contemporary music, especially Disney arrangements, it's tempting to let the melody carry everything; resist that instinct and give supporting lines equal presence.
• Commit to the character moments. These aren't abstract choral exercises. Each song carries emotional weight from the film, and your performance should reflect whether you're celebrating magic, processing doubt, or declaring independence.

Create a complete Encanto concert segment that stands on its own, or weave individual songs into a broader program exploring film and musical theater. The 21-page collection gives you flexibility to perform everything at once or distribute selections across multiple concerts throughout the year.

• Rhythmic precision in contemporary pop and Latin-influenced meters
• Two-part blend and balance in homophonic writing
• Maintaining character and storytelling intention in familiar material
• Intonation in non-traditional harmonic progressions