If I Were A Rich Man (arr. Roger Emerson): TBB Choral Octavo

Roger Emerson has captured the character and charm of this iconic comic number while crafting an arrangement that works for developing male voices. The flexibility of the voicing (TB/TTB/TBB/TTBB) means you can adapt it to your ensemble's needs, whether you're working with a smaller group or a full section. Audiences consistently light up at this tune, and your singers will enjoy the theatrical lift it brings to a concert.

Warm, wry, and deeply human. The melody carries a bittersweet quality even as the lyric imagines an extravagant fantasy, creating a piece that feels both lighthearted and genuinely touching. There's an invitation in this song for your singers to connect with the character's hopes and humor.

Male choirs, tenor-bass ensembles, and mixed groups looking for a showstopper with both musical substance and entertainment value. This works equally well for high school programs, college ensembles, and community choirs wanting a Broadway number that doesn't require a female section.

• Establish a conversational delivery for the main melody. This isn't a power ballad; Tevye is thinking out loud, so encourage your singers to shape phrases with the inflection of natural speech rather than formal choral phrasing.
• Lock into the comic timing of the lyric by staying rhythmically precise in the supporting voices. The humor lives in the contrast between the whimsical text and clean harmonic support underneath.
• Bring out the key modulations Emerson has included. These moments lift the energy and help the piece build toward its emotional center, so don't let them disappear into the texture.
• Consider minimal staging or physical gesture. The song's strength comes from character and sincerity, so even simple movements can enhance the storytelling without overshadowing it.

Pair this with other Broadway selections for a theater-focused concert set, or use it as a standalone crowd-pleaser to close a show on a high note. The piece also works beautifully as an opener, setting a warm and accessible tone for the evening. Its 11-page length makes it manageable in a varied program without demanding disproportionate rehearsal time.

• Stylistic interpretation of Broadway idiom (phrasing, diction, character voice)
• Singing independence in varied voicing configurations (TB/TTB/TBB/TTBB)
• Rhythmic precision while maintaining conversational delivery
• Harmonic awareness in close-voiced choral writing
• Balancing solo melody with supportive harmony textures