Exsultate Justi: Choral Instrumental Parts

This arrangement gives choirs access to one of Williams's most lyrical and soaring vocal works without demanding the full orchestra. The Perry arrangement respects the original's spiritual character while making it genuinely singable for ensembles of varying ability, and the optional instrumental parts (oboe or flute, double bass, hand drum, and tambourine) add textural sophistication without complexity. Programming a Williams work signals to your audience that you're engaging serious concert music, yet the piece remains warm and accessible enough to connect with singers and listeners alike.

The music unfolds with quiet reverence and warmth, built on Williams's signature flowing melodic lines and lush harmonic progressions. There's a sense of uplift and joy embedded in the piece, yet it maintains an intimate, reflective quality that feels deeply personal rather than grand or bombastic.

This arrangement suits intermediate to advanced choirs seeking repertoire that sounds sophisticated and substantial without extreme technical demands. It works equally well for high school ensembles with experienced singers and community or church choirs looking to expand into serious sacred concert music.

• Balance the choir's tone to match the gentle, ethereal character suggested by the optional oboe or flute part; these instruments should never overwhelm the voices.
• Shape phrases through the text rather than by breath marks alone; Williams's melodic lines often span multiple measures and benefit from long, sustained vocal lines.
• If using hand drum and tambourine, keep both parts rhythmically precise and unobtrusive; they function as color rather than rhythm section and should support without pushing the tempo forward.

This pairs beautifully on a concert program with other accessible sacred or contemplative works, or as a centerpiece of a program exploring composers working across film and concert traditions. It also serves well as a standalone encore or as part of a spring concert that emphasizes choral artistry and musicality over purely technical showmanship.

• Sustained legit vocal line singing through phrase structures longer than breath marks
• Ensemble blend and balance when singing alongside obbligato instrumental parts
• Expressive interpretation of sacred text with sophistication appropriate to concert literature
• Rhythmic precision and ensemble togetherness with optional percussion parts