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It Had to Be You: SAB Choral Octavo

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It Had to Be You Cover Image
It Had to Be You: SAB Choral Octavo

It Had to Be You: SAB Choral Octavo

By Isham Jones / arr. Steve Zegree

Item: 00-WBCH93387
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Description
This romantic classic from the 1944 Hollywood musical Show Business regained enormous popularity when Harry Connick, Jr. recorded it for the hit 1989 movie, When Harry Met Sally.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, It Had to Be You: SAB Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Additional Details
Series: Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Pop Choral Series
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 8
UPC: 029156098358
SKU: 00-WBCH93387

More about this title

About the Composer: Isham Jones

Isham Jones (1894-1956) was a bandleader, composer, and violinist who shaped American popular music during the jazz age and beyond. Though often overshadowed by his contemporaries, Jones wrote dozens of standards that became central to the Great American Songbook, including "It Had to Be You," which he composed with lyricist Gus Arnheim for the 1944 film Show Business.

Jones's gift lay in writing melodies that feel both timeless and immediately singable. His orchestrations for big band reflected the sophistication of 1920s-1940s dance music, and his compositions have endured because they sit naturally in the voice while maintaining genuine harmonic interest. Educators value his work for its accessibility combined with genuine musicality.

Why we love this

Steve Zegree's SAB arrangement captures the warmth and nostalgia of this standard while keeping the vocal lines singable and the harmony conversational. The octavo lands perfectly between accessibility and sophistication, giving singers a real sense of accomplishment without requiring extensive range or technical demands. It's a piece that reminds audiences why this song became iconic.

What to expect

Warm, tender, and romantically assured. The song carries the sophisticated ease of 1940s popular music, with enough harmonic color to feel rich without ever becoming heavy or sentimental. Singing it should feel like confessing something true.

Who it's for

This arrangement suits developing and intermediate choirs looking for a standard that bridges popular repertoire and genuine musicianship. It works equally well for community, school, and church choirs seeking material that audiences recognize immediately while offering singers meaningful vocal and harmonic experience.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the melodic line with gentle phrasing rather than hard articulation; this song breathes best when singers sustain through the lyrical moments and let the warmth of the harmony support the melody.
  • Balance the inner parts carefully so the arrangement's harmonic sophistication comes through without overwhelming the top line. The SAB voicing works beautifully when all three parts are equally present.
  • Work the recorded accompaniment into rehearsals early to help singers lock into the harmonic framework and understand how their parts interact with the piano/band sound.
  • Pay attention to text expression and relationship between singer and lyric. This song's emotional weight comes from sincerity, not oversinging.

How to use it

This pairs naturally on concerts celebrating American standards, romantic repertoire, or film music. It works particularly well as a lighter moment between heavier classical or contemporary pieces, and it connects beautifully with other Gershwin-era repertoire. Consider it for Valentine's Day concerts, spring pops programs, or any context where you want a piece that lands both emotionally and musically.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustaining legit vocal tone across a jazz-influenced melodic line
  • Balancing part relationships in three-part harmony
  • Interpreting expressive text and shaping lyrical phrases
  • Listening to and integrating recorded accompaniment

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