I'll Never Fall In Love Again (arr. Ed Lojeski): SSA Choral Octavo

Ed Lojeski's arrangement distills the song's sophisticated harmonic language into an SSA voicing that doesn't sacrifice the Bacharach sensibility. Directors find this piece invaluable because it demands genuine musicianship from singers without requiring virtuosic range or technical extremes. It's the kind of selection that shows students how pop music and art song inhabit the same musical universe.

The song wraps self-aware humor and emotional resilience in lush harmonies, creating a sound that's both protective and vulnerable. Singers experience the contrast between what the lyrics claim (armor against love) and what the music suggests (longing and sophistication), inviting them to explore the gap between words and melody.

This arrangement works for upper level middle school through high school choirs seeking repertoire that bridges pop and classical sensibilities. It's equally suited to college ensembles building a contemporary mixed repertoire or adult choirs wanting material that challenges ears without demanding operatic training.

• Shape the melodic line with the same care you'd apply to a standard. The lyrics convey irony and self-protection, so avoid oversinging; let the music do the emotional work.
• Balance the upper voices to ensure the melody sits naturally in the soprano line while the harmony parts anchor the progression underneath.
• Work the ensemble through a section where three parts move independently. This requires deliberate rehearsal of one part at a time before combining, then attention to vertical alignment.
• Set the tempo with enough space for the lyrical content to land. Rushing diminishes the song's wit and sophistication.

Place this selection on a concert exploring the crossover between Broadway and pop songwriting, pairing it with similar period material. Alternatively, program it as a palate cleanser in a classical concert; its witty lyrics and pop-inflected harmonic movement offer the audience a moment of levity without sacrificing musical substance.

• Singing with stylistic awareness in popular song idiom
• Balancing melody and harmonic accompaniment across three voices
• Interpreting lyrics with nuance and restraint rather than excessive expression
• Reading and performing Bacharach-influenced harmonic progressions
• Understanding the relationship between lyrical irony and musical content