I've Got a Crush on You: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

This arrangement makes one of the American songbook's most charming love songs feel fresh for a choral setting. Teena Chinn's voicing captures the playful sophistication of the original while giving singers genuine harmonic interest to negotiate, and the recorded accompaniment means you can program this even when your accompanist is stretched thin.

Witty and warm, with the unmistakable sophistication of a 1930s jazz-tinged love song. The melody bounces with affection and humor, while the harmony suggests a world of late-night clubs and elegant restraint. It's the musical equivalent of a knowing smile.

Choirs at the intermediate to advanced level who want to program a standard without sacrificing musical depth. This works equally well for concert choirs, show choirs looking to expand beyond pop repertoire, and community or church ensembles seeking a piece that delights singers and audiences alike.

• Lean into the rhythmic lilt of the melody; this song thrives on a slightly syncopated, unhurried swing rather than a metronomic beat.
• Balance the charm of the lyric with the harmonic sophistication underneath. This is not a novelty song, even though the subject matter is light.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock the ensemble's entrances and to showcase how the arrangement breathes; resist the urge to push the tempo.

Program this in a set of American standards or as a palate-cleanser between weightier choral works. It pairs beautifully with other Gershwin songs or with jazz-inflected repertoire from the same era, and it works equally well in a Broadway-focused concert, a secular choral festival program, or a spring pops concert where levity and musicality go hand in hand.

• Singing with rhythmic flexibility and swing feel
• Balancing homophonic and contrapuntal textures in a single piece
• Diction clarity in conversational, lyric-driven singing
• Listening to recorded accompaniments as a rehearsal and performance tool