I Am Light (arr. Mark Hayes and Kimberly Lilley): SSA Choral Octavo

Mark Hayes and Kimberly Lilley have crafted an arrangement that honors India.Arie's intimate vocal delivery while opening the piece up for ensemble voices. The straightforward SSA voicing and 15-page length make it accessible for mixed-ability choirs, yet the arrangement contains enough harmonic and textural sophistication to keep singers engaged. Programming this gives students a chance to connect with contemporary music that carries real emotional weight.

Warm, grounded, and deeply personal. The song radiates quiet confidence, with harmonies that feel both modern and accessible. There's an underlying sense of peace here, the kind that comes from self-recognition and inner strength.

This arrangement works beautifully in middle and high school choirs looking to expand beyond traditional repertoire while maintaining musicianship standards. It's also ideal for community choruses and sacred ensembles seeking contemporary material with spiritual resonance.

• Maintain the reflective, conversational tone throughout. This is not a big belt; it's a quiet affirmation. Coach singers to think of sharing something personal rather than performing.
• Pay careful attention to the text setting and phrasing in the Hayes/Lilley arrangement. How the syllables land in relation to the melody will shape the song's intimacy.
• Balance the parts so the soprano line doesn't overshadow the inner voices. The altos and second sopranos carry important harmonic color that supports the message.
• Use the recorded accompaniment (if available with your purchase) to establish the groove and harmonic landscape early in rehearsals, then gradually build independence in the choir.

Consider pairing this with other contemporary spiritual or introspective pieces to create a thematic set about resilience and identity. It also works as a standalone closing number for concerts where you want to leave the audience with something affirming and memorable. Spring concerts and celebration-of-diversity programs are natural homes for this piece.

• Balancing lyrical phrasing across an SSA voicing
• Singing with stylistic authenticity in a pop/R&B idiom
• Understanding harmonic function in contemporary arrangements
• Developing dynamic control in passages marked soft or intimate
• Text expression and connecting emotional content to vocal delivery