Hair: A Choral Medley: SAB Choral Octavo

Greg Gilpin's arrangement distills Hair's most memorable moments into a tight, singable medley that captures the spirit of the original without demanding extensive vocal gymnastics. The 6-minute package gives your choir an instant hit that audiences genuinely know and love, and the SAB voicing opens this material to programs of mixed ability and age.

Flower power meets stage craft. The 60s optimism and idealism in Hair comes through in Gilpin's arrangement as bright, propulsive vocal writing that feels celebratory rather than nostalgic. Your singers will feel the joy of performing music that's instantly recognizable and genuinely fun to sing.

Choirs in middle school through community adult programs looking for accessible, energetic contemporary material with genuine cultural currency. Directors seeking a pop choral piece that engages singers and audiences alike will find this medley both musically rewarding and practical.

• Lean into the rhythmic drive of the rock idiom. These songs live and breathe in their groove, so lock in with the recorded accompaniment early in rehearsal and let your singers feel the pulse rather than fight it.
• Balance clarity in the text with the pop sensibility of the arranging. Diction matters for comprehension, but over-articulation will kill the relaxed, contemporary vibe MacDermot and Gilpin are going for.
• Use dynamic variety to shape the medley across its six minutes. The arrangement likely moves through contrasting sections, so help your singers understand when to pull back and when to lean in so the whole arc lands.
• Check that your SAB voicing sits comfortably in each section. If the alto or bass line sits awkwardly in places, work it in smaller voice-part rehearsals before full ensemble runs.

This medley works beautifully on a concert celebrating Broadway, pop music, or music of the 1960s. You might also program it as a lighter, crowd-pleasing contrast to more classical or serious choral work on a mixed repertoire concert.

• Singing in a contemporary pop/rock style with appropriate rhythmic inflection
• Balancing ensemble blend in SAB voicing across changing harmonic textures
• Shaping text intelligibly while maintaining relaxed vocal production
• Following a medley structure with clear sectional transitions