From the Start: SATB Choral Octavo

This arrangement captures the cool, floating quality of Laufey's original while giving your choir real rhythmic and harmonic meat to sink their teeth into. Michele Weir has crafted tight jazz voicings that sit beautifully in the SATB range, and the mix of unison scat and optional solos means every singer stays engaged. It's the kind of contemporary pop chart that feels sophisticated without being showy.

Smooth and unhurried, with the gentle bounce of a bossa nova groove beneath lush jazz harmonies. There's an intimate quality here, even when the choir sings in unison; the arrangement breathes with the ease of a late-night jazz club rather than a concert hall.

This arrangement works for intermediate to advanced high school and college choirs seeking contemporary repertoire with jazz vocabulary and pop appeal. It's ideal for choirs that can handle syncopation and jazz articulation, and it particularly suits directors building a program that bridges classical and popular styles.

• Study the original recording carefully before rehearsal. Laufey's phrasing and vocal inflection are part of the song's DNA; her approach to the bossa nova rhythm will guide your singers toward the right feel.
• Balance the scat unison section so it locks in rhythmically without losing its buoyant, conversational quality. This is not a shouted moment; it should sound effortless.
• Feature your soloists strategically. Optional solos give you flexibility for different choir configurations, but commit fully to whoever takes them; let the section provide warm, supportive background voicing.
• Pay attention to the jazz harmonic language in your voice parts. These chords won't resolve the way traditional SATB writing does, so trust the arrangement and keep intonation precise through suspended and extended harmonies.

Program this as a centerpiece for a contemporary or jazz-focused concert, pairing it with other modern vocal music to create a cohesive set. It also works beautifully as a lighter moment in a mixed classical program, offering audiences a recognizable style and a refreshing change of pace.

• Jazz phrasing and swing articulation in a choral context
• Reading and executing syncopated rhythms within ensemble texture
• Balancing tight jazz voicings (extended and suspended harmonies) while maintaining intonation
• Blending and supporting optional vocal solos
• Understanding bossa nova groove and rhythmic feel as a choir