Hair: A Choral Medley: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

This medley captures the infectious energy and melodic hooks that made Hair a generational landmark, packaged for mixed choral voices in a way that feels authentic to the show's spirit without requiring a full stage production. The Greg Gilpin arrangement respects MacDermot's original compositions while creating singable parts that work in a concert setting. Programming this connects your singers to one of the most important musical theater works of the 20th century.

Hair captures the optimism, urgency, and raw energy of the late 1960s in sound. The medley format lets you experience multiple melodic moments from the show, creating a dynamic arc that moves through joy, introspection, and exuberance. Even singers unfamiliar with the show will feel the music's immediate, infectious quality.

This arrangement serves choirs looking for contemporary repertoire with real theatrical substance and broad appeal to audiences. It works well for high school and college mixed choirs, as well as community ensembles seeking music that entertains while maintaining musical integrity.

• Balance the harmonies so that melodic lines emerge clearly; the arrangement likely layers several memorable themes, and clarity will make those hooks land with your audience.
• Use the recorded accompaniment in rehearsal to establish tempo and groove, then gradually reduce your dependency on it so the choir develops confidence with the underlying rhythm.
• Shape phrases with the pop and rock idiom in mind; these melodies thrive on forward motion and rhythmic precision rather than the legato phrasing of classical choral music.
• Pay attention to the articulation and diction in sections that move quickly; crisp consonants and energetic vowels will enhance the contemporary feel.

This works beautifully as a concert centerpiece or as part of a program devoted to musical theater literature. It also pairs well with other pop and contemporary choral selections if you're building a themed concert around 20th-century American music or rock influences in formal settings.

• Rhythmic precision in rock and pop idioms
• Layered harmony and voice independence in contemporary arrangements
• Diction and articulation in quick-moving passages
• Historical and cultural context for 1960s musical theater