Gettin' in the Mood (for Christmas): SSA Choral Octavo

Larry Shackley's arrangement captures the infectious energy of the original while making it genuinely singable for SSA ensembles. The festive holiday lyrics feel organic to the melody rather than forced, and the optional horn parts give you flexibility to create a full big band sound or keep it purely choral depending on your instrumentation and vision.

Walking into a mid-century jazz club on Christmas Eve, with a live band cooking and the whole room ready to celebrate. The arrangement channels that sophisticated, playful swing energy while wrapping it in holiday warmth, delivering a number that feels both nostalgic and immediately engaging.

Directors programming December concerts who want an uptempo, crowd-pleasing number that swings hard without requiring a full SATB complement. SSA choirs with access to horn players or those willing to embrace a purely vocal arrangement will find this both accessible and genuinely fun to perform.

• Lock in the rhythmic precision of the swing feel early in rehearsals. This tune lives and dies by groove, so establish a steady tempo and nail the syncopation before layering in dynamics and blend.
• Balance the SSA texture by checking that your altos aren't buried underneath the soprano melody. In swing arrangements, all three voices need presence to create the full sound.
• If you're using the recorded accompaniment, rehearse with it from day one so singers internalize the band's energy and phrasing rather than fighting against it in performance.
• Shape the phrase endings with slight rhythmic flexibility. Swing arrangements benefit from articulation that feels conversational rather than metronomic.

Pair this with slower, more traditional holiday fare to create dynamic pacing in your December concert. It works equally well as a show-opener that sets an energetic tone or as a second-half closer that leaves the audience grinning.

• Swing rhythm and syncopation, including pushing and laying back on the beat
• Sustaining a groove-based ensemble sound without relying on a conductor's baton
• Blending SSA voicing when the soprano carries the melody and the alto line sits beneath it
• Balancing individual expression with tight ensemble cohesion in a jazz-inflected style