Fascinating Rhythm: SATB Choral Octavo

Mark Hayes' arrangement captures what makes this standard endure without smoothing away its harmonic spice or rhythmic surprise. The mix of Latin and Swing idioms keeps the ensemble engaged and gives singers a genuine reason to listen to each other across parts. This is a piece that sounds both familiar and fresh, which means audiences arrive ready to enjoy themselves.

Infectious energy wrapped in clever writing. The piece bounces between Latin swagger and Jazz-inflected Swing, with moments of genuine harmonic color that remind you this came from a composer who studied seriously. Singers feel the joy of being part of something rhythmically propulsive and harmonically interesting at once.

Intermediate to advanced SATB choirs with confident singers who can handle rhythmic independence and quick style shifts. This works equally well for concert choirs, show choirs, and festival competition programs seeking repertoire that pleases audiences while respecting the singers' musicianship.

• Clarify the Latin rhythm section in early rehearsals by having percussion and bass lock in first; the ensemble will find their groove faster when the foundation is unmistakable.
• Protect the brightness of the text setting, especially in the Swing sections, where crisp consonants and energetic vowels prevent the piece from sounding overwrought.
• Bring out the inner voices (alto and tenor countermelodies) in the arrangement; Hayes has written them as active conversation partners, not filler.
• Use the recorded accompaniment strategically in rehearsals to establish tempo and style, then gradually withdraw it so the choir builds confidence in their own rhythmic independence.

Program this as the closer on a pop standards concert, where it can cap an evening with celebration and send audiences out energized. It also pairs beautifully within a "Jazz and Broadway" themed concert, positioned alongside other Gershwin works or contemporaries like Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers.

• Rhythmic independence within Swing and Latin feels
• Harmonic awareness across four-part writing
• Quick style transitions and musical flexibility
• Text clarity and consonant articulation at tempo
• Listening to inner voices and supporting countermelodies