Falling In Love With Love (with This Can't Be Love) (arr. Kirby Shaw): SAB Choral Octavo

Kirby Shaw's arrangement weaves two beloved Rodgers and Hart standards into a single coherent piece, giving singers a chance to experience the interplay between both melodies without excessive length. The SAB voicing sits comfortably across a range of voice types, making it accessible for developing choirs while maintaining the harmonic richness that makes these songs endure. You get sophisticated material that doesn't require a large ensemble to sound polished and complete.

This arrangement sparkles with the optimism and romantic humor of the original songs. There's a lightness to the orchestration despite the harmonic sophistication, and the two melodies weave together in moments of genuine musical conversation. The overall effect is charming and effervescent, inviting the audience into the songwriter's witty, affectionate sensibility.

SAB choirs at the intermediate to early advanced level will find this arrangement rewarding without overwhelming. It works particularly well for groups comfortable with jazz phrasing and those looking to program a standards-based concert or a set that bridges classical choral work with American songbook material.

• Balance the two melodic ideas carefully; when one tune appears in an upper voice, ensure the other doesn't disappear in a lower part. Blend counts as much as balance here.
• Treat the underlying swing feel as essential, not optional. Even in slower passages, the rhythmic pulse should swing slightly to honor the jazz ancestry of these standards.
• Shape phrases through text rather than breath marks. These lyrics deserve clarity, and natural speech rhythms will guide you through the harmonic complexity more reliably than a printed breath mark.

Pair this with other standards from the same era to build a cohesive set, or use it as a bridge between a more formal first half and a lighter finale. The 11-page score gives you enough musical substance for concert program balance without demanding excessive rehearsal time, making it an efficient addition to a concert focused on American song.

• Singing through complex jazz harmonies and voice leading
• Executing swing articulation and phrasing in an ensemble context
• Balancing two independent melodic lines simultaneously
• Interpreting text with period-appropriate style and warmth
• Reading SAB voicings and maintaining harmonic independence