Hit Me With Your Best Shot / One Way Or Another: SAB Choral Octavo

This arrangement captures the kinetic energy of two iconic pop rock tracks without requiring a full band sound. Adam Anders and Peer Astrom have crafted parts that give every voice in the SAB lineup something engaging to do, whether it's driving the main melodic line or locking into rhythmic support. Programming these back to back gives your ensemble a jolt of confidence and sheer fun, especially in a concert that might otherwise skew traditional.

Pure pop rock confidence delivered in three parts. These arrangements crackle with the attitude and melodic directness that made Blondie and Pat Benatar household names, minus nothing of the original songs' swagger. You get radio-ready hooks that stick with singers and audiences alike.

This octavo works for intermediate to advanced high school choirs and collegiate ensembles looking to program contemporary pop material with real vocal substance. It's equally at home in concert settings where you want to break free from traditional classical programming and in show choir or pop ensemble contexts.

• Keep the tempo driving forward but not rushed; these songs depend on groove as much as speed. Let the rhythm section (if you have one) anchor the tempo before the voices enter.
• Emphasize the contrast between the two tracks. 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' pushes aggressive energy while 'One Way Or Another' trades on a more conversational, almost spoken quality in places. Switch the emotional dial between them.
• Watch for rhythmic precision in the tutti sections. Pop arrangements live or die on tight ensemble work, especially where parts interlock around syncopated rhythms.

Pair these as a set in your spring or winter concert to give audiences a palate cleanser between larger choral works. The 13 pages move quickly, so you can sandwich them between a classical work and something else contemporary, or use them to anchor a full set of pop arrangements that showcase your ensemble's range. High school choirs particularly benefit from programming recognizable hits that generate genuine excitement in the room.

• Rhythmic precision in syncopated pop idioms
• Balancing melody and rhythmic support across three parts
• Sustaining forward motion and groove in contemporary styles
• Vocal control in belt and belted passages
• Interpretation of attitude and character in performance