Feel The Beat!: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

Jacobson and Emerson craft choral writing that moves with genuine groove without sacrificing musicality. The jazz idiom invites your singers to feel rhythm and swing naturally, making this both accessible for developing choirs and genuinely satisfying to perform.

Energy that swings without apology. The piece invites singers into a rhythmic world where they can feel the beat in their bodies, not just read it on the page. It's the kind of arrangement that makes choral singing feel contemporary and alive.

Three-part mixed choirs looking to expand beyond traditional concert repertoire. This works for middle school through community choir levels, offering accessible jazz vocabulary without dumbing down the musicianship required.

• Establish a solid pulse before tackling the rhythmic independence between parts. This gives singers the confidence to stay locked in when the jazz figures get busier.
• Work the harmonic resolutions slowly at first. Jazz voicings need care in intonation, especially in the upper partials where thirds and sevenths matter most.
• Encourage your singers to listen actively to each other's part rather than only their own line. The interplay is what makes jazz choral writing come alive.

Pair this with a traditional jazz standard or a more classical selection to create programming contrast that keeps audiences engaged. It's equally effective as a concert opener that sets a lighter tone or a second-half piece that reinvigorates an audience after more formal repertoire.

• Jazz rhythm fundamentals including swing eighths and syncopation
• Part independence while maintaining ensemble cohesion
• Intonation in jazz sonorities with extended harmonies
• Listening across parts in polytonal contexts
• Rhythmic confidence in ensemble settings