I Want to Take You Higher: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Alan Billingsley's arrangement captures the infectious groove and joyful energy of Sly Stone's original while making it genuinely singable for mixed choirs. The recorded accompaniment locks the rhythm section so solidly that your singers can focus on blend and part independence rather than fighting to stay together.

Exuberant and groove-centered, with an irresistible forward momentum that makes singers want to move. The arrangement honors Sly Stone's funk roots while giving the harmony space to breathe, creating something that feels both rooted in a specific musical tradition and fresh in a choral setting.

Mixed choirs looking for repertoire that energizes audiences and feels genuinely fun to perform. This arrangement works equally well for high school show choirs, community ensembles, and college groups seeking material that bridges popular music and choral craft.

• Isolate the rhythm section parts first, even if you have singers on every line. Once your singers feel the pocket the way the recorded accompaniment establishes it, the harmony locks in naturally.
• Work dynamics carefully around the hook. The memorable melodic ideas need to land with real conviction, but pushing too hard too early flattens the groove.
• Layer in parts gradually during rehearsal rather than stacking all four voices from day one. Let singers hear how their part interlocks with the rhythm and other voices before asking them to balance it all.

Pair this with other secular pop repertoire to build a concert set that feels contemporary and connected. It works especially well as a closer or penultimate number when you want to send audiences out with real energy.

• Maintaining groove and pocket in a funk-inflected style
• Layering independent vocal lines while preserving rhythmic cohesion
• Balancing part independence with ensemble blend
• Responding to recorded accompaniment with rhythmic precision