Human (arr. Peter Van Lonkhuijsen): SSAA Choral Octavo

Peter van Lonkhuijsen's arrangement captures the intimate, confessional quality of the original while opening it up for ensemble voices. The SSAA voicing allows choirs to explore the soulful character of the piece without requiring a tenor section, making it accessible for many ensemble configurations while maintaining the emotional weight that makes this song resonate with singers and audiences alike.

Honest and unguarded. The piece carries the same raw vulnerability as the original recording, inviting singers to access genuine emotion rather than theatrical presentation. Van Lonkhuijsen's arrangement preserves the song's focus on the human voice and lyrical content, creating space for meaning to come through.

Choirs seeking contemporary material that speaks to serious emotional content without requiring extensive vocal gymnastics or complicated ensemble balance. This works well for groups wanting to connect with modern repertoire while developing their capacity to interpret contemporary songwriting through a choral lens.

• Pay close attention to the vowel shapes in the sustained sections. The soul character of this piece demands consistency in blend across the chord changes, particularly in slower passages where vowel drift becomes immediately audible.
• Balance the solo line against the harmonic support. Even when multiple voice parts carry melody, the lead voice needs to project naturally above the accompaniment without forcing or oversinging.
• Consider the arc of the entire piece when approaching dynamics. This arrangement likely moves through several intensity levels, so mark your personal guide with clear reference points for how ensemble volume should evolve from section to section.
• Work the rhythmic precision of any syncopated passages separately from the melodic line. Soul-influenced music demands groove sensibility alongside traditional choral accuracy.

Pair this with other contemporary pop arrangements to create a modern voices concert set, or use it as a striking standalone moment between more traditional repertoire to demonstrate your ensemble's stylistic range. The emotional directness makes it particularly effective as a concert closer or as part of a program exploring themes of vulnerability and authenticity.

• Interpreting contemporary songwriting with musical maturity
• Blending sustained vowels across chord movement
• Balancing solo and ensemble textures within a single voice part
• Conveying lyrical meaning through controlled dynamics
• Maintaining groove and rhythmic cohesion in popular music styles