If It's Magic (arr. Mac Huff): SSA Choral Octavo

Mac Huff has crafted an arrangement that preserves the song's inherent warmth and sophistication while making it accessible to SSA ensembles. The voicing balances harmonic richness with singability, allowing singers to experience Wonder's jazz-inflected chord progressions without overwhelming technical demands. This is the kind of contemporary pop setting that reminds students why they love music in the first place.

Intimate and reflective, this arrangement wraps Wonder's meditation on love and mystery in warm vocal textures. There is lightness here alongside sophistication, a quality that keeps the piece from feeling heavy despite its harmonic depth.

This arrangement suits choirs with solid intonation skills and comfort with jazz harmony, from advanced high school programs through college and community ensembles. It works equally well as a showcase for vocal blend and as an accessible entry point for singers encountering Stevie Wonder's harmonic language in a choral context.

• Shape the phrase with genuine legato through the bridge section; this ballad lives in space and breath, not rushed articulation.
• Tune the suspended and extended harmonies with care, particularly where the arrangement departs from diatonic harmony. These moments deserve rehearsal time proportionate to their musical importance.
• Let the alto line breathe as its own melodic entity rather than accompaniment; Huff has given this voice real material to sing.
• Consider your dynamic arc across the entire piece. Resist the urge to peak too early; save expressive space for the final iteration of the melody.

This pairs beautifully on a concert exploring the intersection of soul and pop music, perhaps alongside other contemporary arrangements or American songbook standards. It also serves as an excellent solo showcase piece, allowing a featured soloist to shine while the ensemble provides nuanced, supportive voicing.

• Singing in sus2 and sus4 harmonies with accurate intonation
• Reading and performing jazz chord extensions (9ths, 13ths)
• Sustaining legato line through longer harmonic phrases
• Balancing ensemble blend with individual voice definition