Fly Me to the Moon: SATB Choral Book

Gwyn Arch's arrangements unlock a side of the jazz standard repertoire that choirs rarely explore. The writing respects the harmonic sophistication and swing vocabulary of these songs while staying genuine to vocal writing, which means your singers get to inhabit real jazz idiom rather than singing watered-down pop arrangements.

Sophisticated and swinging. These arrangements inhabit the elegant, conversational world of mid-century jazz while keeping the emotional warmth that made these standards timeless. There's playfulness here alongside genuine musicianship.

SATB choirs ready to expand beyond traditional choral literature and tackle genuine jazz repertoire. This collection works well for advanced high school groups or college ensembles with solid intonation and rhythmic flexibility, as well as adult community choirs interested in the Great American Songbook.

• Spend rehearsal time on the rhythmic anticipations and syncopations that give these standards their groove. Mark them clearly in pencil so singers recognize where the pulse sits.
• Encourage the piano player to listen closely to jazz recordings of these standards. The accompaniment will live or die on the pianist's comfort with swing feel and chord substitutions.
• Treat phrase endings with restraint. Jazz standards speak through space and understatement, not big dramatic releases.
• Balance the upper voices so that the melody floats naturally above the harmonic web rather than getting swallowed by supporting parts.

These five standards function beautifully as a concert set or as bookends to a mixed program. Consider programming them after intermission to shift the evening's energy, or as a spring concert specialty when you want to surprise audiences with a different side of your choir's artistry.

• Swing rhythm and syncopation
• Reading jazz chord changes and harmonic sophistication
• Blend and balance within close-voiced harmony
• Stylistically appropriate phrasing in the jazz idiom
• Interaction with piano accompaniment in a jazz context