I Love Ragtime (Medley): 2-Part Choral Octavo

Huff's medley approach lets you pack genuine ragtime flavor into a short, manageable package. Two-part writing keeps focus on the style and joy of the music rather than wrestling with complex voicing, so your singers stay engaged with the actual character of ragtime instead of fighting the notes.

Witty, propulsive, and playful. Ragtime's mechanical precision and offbeat kick collide to create something that feels both mathematically tight and genuinely fun. Your singers will feel the dance in the syncopation.

Middle school and high school choirs looking for a high-energy, stylistically engaging piece that doesn't require advanced reading. This also works for elementary choirs with strong sight-reading skills who need an introduction to jazz and ragtime idioms.

• Pay close attention to rhythm precision in the syncopated figures. Ragtime lives in the space between steady and syncopated, so lock the pulse with your rhythm section or a strong accompanist before introducing syncopation.
• Let the character shift with each section of the medley. Different rags have different personalities, so coach your singers to recognize those shifts and adjust tone and articulation accordingly.
• Keep the tempo conversation open. Ragtime swings differently depending on the era and composer being referenced, so experiment in rehearsal to find the groove that feels right for your group.

Build a ragtime or American music history concert around this piece, pairing it with solo piano rags or instrumental jazz arrangements. It also works as a bright middle slot piece that energizes an audience and shows off your choir's stylistic range.

• Reading syncopated rhythms and maintaining pulse against syncopation
• Understanding and executing swing feel
• Navigating style markers specific to early jazz and ragtime idioms
• Precision articulation in rhythmically complex material
• Working with accompaniment in a jazz or popular music context