Endless Love: SAB Choral Octavo

Jay Althouse's SAB arrangement captures the duet magic that made this song iconic on Glee while remaining singable for mixed choirs of varying experience levels. The featured solo roles give your strongest singers a genuine spotlight moment, and the supporting harmonies sit naturally in each voice part without sacrificing the song's warmth and vulnerability.

Richie's composition radiates warmth and sincerity; there's no cynicism or irony here, just straightforward emotional honesty. The arrangement invites singers to inhabit the vulnerability of the text while the supporting harmonies create a lush, contemporary pop sound that feels both intimate and celebratory.

Directors seeking contemporary pop repertoire that appeals to mixed choirs and audiences alike will find a piece that lands immediately with listeners while offering genuine musical substance. This works equally well for high school choirs, community ensembles, and college non-majors who want to perform music they know and love.

• Treat the opening duet as a true dialogue. The two soloists should listen to each other, making eye contact when possible, to create the intimacy that anchors the entire arrangement.
• Balance is critical in the ensemble sections. The altos and basses provide harmonic foundation, so they must sing with confidence and support without overshadowing the melody.
• Shape the phrase endings with slight breath control rather than hard stops. Let the chords breathe and resolve naturally, especially in the final measures.
• Use the recorded accompaniment as a rehearsal tool to lock in chord changes and tempo, but consider performing with live piano once the choir knows the part, which allows for greater expressive flexibility.

This works beautifully as a concert closer or as the emotional centerpiece of a program mixing popular music with lighter classical fare. It's also an excellent choice for Valentine's Day concerts, pops nights, or any performance where you want the audience to leave feeling moved and connected.

• Sustaining long phrases with proper breath support and line awareness
• Balancing a solo line with harmonic accompaniment in three-part writing
• Interpreting contemporary pop idiom with musicality and restraint
• Blending consonants and vowels across mixed voice parts
• Responding to a singing partner's interpretation and pacing