Flip, Flop and Fly: SSA Choral Octavo

Jay Althouse's arrangement strips away nothing essential from this blues-rooted standard; instead, it gives SSA singers real swing and attitude to sink their teeth into. The voicing sits naturally across three parts while preserving the tune's infectious groove, making it equally effective as a confidence-builder for developing singers or a showstopper in a mixed-repertoire concert.

Playful and irreverent, with the looseness of a late-night jam session. The tune bounces along with rhythmic buoyancy and just enough sass to keep singers engaged throughout the piece.

SSA ensembles at the middle school through adult community level will find this arrangement accessible and genuinely fun. The piece rewards singers who connect with blues vocabulary and swing phrasing, making it ideal for choirs ready to move beyond traditional show-tune arrangements.

• Emphasize the lilting, syncopated rhythm of the melody line; the swing feel depends on relaxed precision rather than rigid counting.
• Balance the three parts so the soprano line stays conversational with the lower voices, not soaring above them.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock the groove early in rehearsal, then gradually reduce reliance on it as singers internalize the pocket.

This belongs in a concert that celebrates American popular music roots or wants to surprise an audience expecting more formal fare. Pair it with other blues-inflected or rhythm-and-blues-informed pieces for programming coherence, or use it as a palate-cleanser between weightier selections.

• Swing rhythm and syncopated phrasing
• Blues vocabulary and style interpretation
• Rhythmic independence across three parts
• Balanced blend in SSA voicing