Hair: SATB Choral Octavo

This arrangement captures everything that made the original song a showstopper: infectious energy, immediate melodic appeal, and genuine fun. Jay Althouse's SATB setting preserves the song's rock and pop sensibility while making it genuinely singable for mixed choirs, and the harmonic support gives each voice something meaningful to do rather than just doubling melody.

Energetic, playful, and defiantly optimistic. The song radiates 1960s joy and irreverence, built on a groove that feels both retro and timeless. Singing it triggers genuine smiles, both from performers and listeners, because the sheer abundance of descriptive words creates momentum and humor that's almost impossible to resist.

High school and community choirs looking for repertoire with genuine theatrical flair and audience appeal. This works equally well for choirs wanting to explore Broadway music on the concert stage or for communities interested in adding a recognizable pop standard to a musical theater concert.

• Keep the energy bright and conversational, especially through the cascade of adjectives. The humor lands when singers deliver those descriptions with playful clarity rather than belting them out.
• Shape phrases around the natural speech rhythm of the lyrics. Let syllables breathe in places rather than rushing through every word at the same pace.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock the groove, but encourage singers to feel the pocket rather than mechanically following it. The song thrives on rhythmic confidence and swing.

Program this as a concert opener or closer to reset audience energy and create an immediate sense of accessibility and fun. It pairs naturally with other pop or rock-influenced choral arrangements, or it can stand alone as a palate cleanser between more demanding classical or contemporary pieces.

• Rhythmic precision in syncopated, groove-based settings
• Clear diction and projection at conversational tempos
• Balancing ensemble blend with character-driven performance
• Intonation stability in four-part harmony over modern harmonic progressions