Feeling Good: TTBB Choral Octavo

This arrangement captures the emotional directness that makes Simone's original so compelling while giving male voices a chance to inhabit this song of resilience and renewal. The TTBB voicing sits naturally for tenor and bass sections, and the harmonic sophistication rewards singers who can lock into jazz chord changes and subtle rhythmic pushes.

Radiant and unshakable. The song radiates quiet confidence, moving with a gentle swing that feels both conversational and grand. There's a lift to it, a sense of looking forward, combined with the sophistication of jazz harmonies that prevent it from ever becoming saccharine.

Male choral ensembles seeking modern repertoire with real jazz vocabulary and emotional substance. This piece works for university and high school groups comfortable with swing rhythms and non-traditional harmonic language, and it makes a strong choice for concert programming that steps outside classical and spiritual traditions.

• Shape the melody with jazz phrasing rather than classical legit tone; the song breathes between phrases, so don't over-connect every note.
• Let the rhythm section (if using accompaniment) anchor the groove while your basses and lower tenors sit solidly on the pocket rather than rushing.
• Find the emotional arc of the lyric; this song works best when singers understand they're singing about agency and self-determination, not just performing a melody.
• Balance blend in the tutti moments while allowing soloists or sectional leaders to float slightly forward during the song's reflective passages.

Pair this with other twentieth-century American vocal music to create a concert section celebrating jazz standards and American song. It also works beautifully as a closer for a program focused on resilience, or as a bridge between a classical set and a lighter finale. Consider programming it alongside spirituals or folk arrangements to highlight different approaches to meaningful American repertoire.

• Jazz swing feel and rhythmic flexibility
• Singing through jazz chord changes with harmonic awareness
• Phrasing and breath control in contemporary idiom
• Ensemble balance when blending jazz voicings
• Interpretation of lyrical content and emotional intention