Patti Drennan's career spans three decades of choral leadership in Norman Public Schools, where she directed award-winning programs at both West Mid-High School and Norman High School. Her tenure culminated in the 2004 Director of Distinction Award from the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association, recognizing her consistent excellence in developing singers who earned superior ratings year after year.
Now in her second career as a full-time composer and arranger, Drennan has become a prolific voice in choral music with over 425 published octavos and more than two million copies in circulation. She serves churches and schools across North America as a clinician, workshop presenter, and composer, while maintaining an active performance life that includes recording and symphonic work alongside her daughter, a musical theater performer in New York.
Why we love this
Drennan brings a teacher's practical sensibility to every arrangement she writes. These octavos balance accessibility with musical substance, giving your singers satisfying parts to sing while keeping rehearsal time realistic. The collection draws on her decades spent building strong choral programs, so you get arrangements that actually work in mixed ensembles.
What to expect
These arrangements honor their source material without excess ornamentation, creating a warmth that invites both singers and listeners into the music. There's a conversational quality to how the voices move together, as if the text is being shared rather than performed.
Who it's for
Church and school choirs seeking concert-quality arrangements of familiar hymns and spiritual material. This volume works equally well for directors building repertoire for holiday services or concert programming with mixed-voice ensembles.
How to get the most out of it
Balance blend within each section before attempting full SATB balance. Drennan's voice leading rewards careful attention to intonation across individual parts.
Use the dynamic markings as a rehearsal tool to shape phrases together. They mark structural turning points, not arbitrary expression.
Consider the harmonic rhythm when setting tempos. These arrangements often shift between block harmony and independent motion, which affects how quickly your ensemble can move.
How to use it
Use these pieces as anchors in holiday programs where familiar material builds connection with your audience. They also work beautifully as part of a secular choral concert that weaves together spiritual themes with accessible, singable writing.
Skills your students will build
Independent voice part singing in SATB texture
Sustained legit singing with clear text projection
Harmonic listening and blend awareness
Phrasing shaped by text rather than melodic shape alone
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