Feeling Good (arr. Beverley Mason): SSSAA Choral Octavo

Beverley Mason's SSSAA voicing captures the infectious optimism of Simone's signature tune while keeping the arrangement accessible for upper voices. The piece lands solidly in the pop-jazz vernacular without requiring swing expertise, making it an ideal choice for choirs seeking contemporary repertoire with genuine soulfulness.

Buoyant and affirming, with an irrepressible bounce that makes singers and listeners smile. The voicing opens up space for joy while maintaining the emotional authenticity that made Simone's original so memorable.

Choirs with solid readers at the soprano level and intermediate-to-advanced singers in the lower voices. The arrangement works well for groups comfortable with contemporary idioms and looking to program something that genuinely excites audiences.

• Lean into the rhythmic pocket rather than conducting strictly metrically; the groove lives in the space between the beat, not on top of it.
• Balance the soprano voices carefully in the upper register to avoid shrillness; weight them toward the middle of each soprano line.
• Let the lyrics breathe and land clearly—clarity matters more than speed, even at an energetic tempo.
• Mark any divisi sections and rehearse voice parts separately if the ensemble is unfamiliar with jazz harmony or tight voicing.

Perfect as a second-half opener in a concert program, especially one mixing classical and contemporary work. It also serves beautifully in pops or community engagement concerts where accessibility and pure pleasure matter as much as technical display.

• Singing jazz harmony and extended tertian chords
• Maintaining rhythmic independence within ensemble texture
• Shaping lyrical phrases in a contemporary idiom
• Balancing multiple soprano lines without forcing the sound
• Responding to groove-based rhythm rather than strict metric conduct