Frankly Speaking: SAB Choral Book

These three Sinatra standards arrive in genuinely singable SAB voicings that preserve the suave sophistication of the originals without requiring advanced vocal technique. The piano accompaniments support the melody clearly while keeping the arrangements straightforward enough for groups building confidence with American songbook repertoire.

Smooth, swinging, and sophisticated. These songs capture the urbane confidence of Sinatra's era: the romantic yearning of "I've Got You Under My Skin," the witty defiance of "The Lady Is a Tramp," and the nostalgia and hope wrapped up in the "New York, New York" finale.

SAB choirs at the community or high school level who want to tackle recognizable American standards without the vocal demands of SATB voicing. Directors looking to program accessible, audience-friendly music that doesn't sacrifice musicality or charm.

• Shape the phrasing around the lyrics rather than the bar lines; these songs were written for natural speech rhythms and benefit from breathing at phrase endpoints rather than rests written in the score.
• Let the piano part breathe as a genuine accompaniment, not a rhythmic metronome; Sinatra's interpretations were conversational and slightly rubato, and your choir will sound more stylish if the accompanist follows the singers' natural timing.
• Balance the upper two voices in SAB writing so neither dominates; the strength of these arrangements lies in blend, not soloistic display across individual parts.

Perfect for a spring pops concert or end-of-year celebration where your audience expects familiar melodies and genuine entertainment. These three pieces can anchor a set of American songbook standards, or stand alone as a tightly focused program that showcases your choir's stylistic range beyond classical choral literature.

• Singing jazz-influenced phrasing and swing rhythms
• Balancing ensemble sound across three distinct vocal lines
• Interpreting lyrical text with conversational phrasing
• Coordinating with a piano accompaniment that requires some interpretive flexibility