Jazz Me!: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

Jacobson understands how to write for young singers without sacrificing musical substance. This arrangement brings contemporary jazz and pop sensibilities into the choral setting in a way that feels accessible rather than diluted, giving your ensemble a modern sound they'll feel genuinely excited to perform.

Contemporary and energetic. The arrangement channels the vocabulary of modern pop and jazz into choral writing, creating a sound that feels current without losing the character that makes ensemble singing distinctive. Your singers will feel like they're part of something vibrant and relevant.

Mixed choirs with intermediate reading skills who want to expand beyond traditional choral repertoire. This works equally well for groups building a concert that includes both classical and contemporary music, or for ensembles whose singers respond better to popular idioms.

• Isolate the comping rhythms in sectional rehearsals so singers understand how the background voices create groove rather than simply sustain harmony.
• Record a quick smartphone video of the rhythm section parts to circulate between rehearsals; many singers internalize swing feel faster by ear than by reading.
• Shape the phrasing as you would in a jazz combo, allowing slight rhythmic flexibility within measures rather than metronomic precision throughout.
• Balance the part writing carefully in full ensemble; Jacobson's three-part texture requires clean voice independence or the arrangement muddies.

Pair this with spiritual or traditional material to showcase range and versatility in a single concert. It also serves well as a closing number that leaves audiences energized, or as a bridge piece when you're moving an audience from a more formal first half to something communal.

• Reading syncopated rhythms and swing eighths in a choral context
• Maintaining rhythmic independence while blending as an ensemble
• Understanding jazz harmony and how voices function in contemporary pop arrangements
• Building ensemble sound through comping and background textures rather than melody-driven singing