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Alan Billingsley's arrangement brings Curtis Mayfield's soulful energy into a choral setting that actually works for high school and adult singers without compromising the groove. The recorded accompaniment locks the ensemble into the pocket immediately, freeing your singers to focus on blend and articulation rather than fighting the rhythm. This is the kind of popular music arrangement that makes choirs sound genuinely contemporary.

Energetic and propulsive, with the funk undertow that defined Mayfield's original work. The arrangement maintains the soul-funk hybrid that made the song memorable while giving each voice part something rhythmically engaging to do.

High school and community choirs looking to program contemporary popular music with real substance. Singers benefit from the recorded accompaniment, which provides a professional rhythm foundation and removes the rehearsal burden of teaching complex syncopation to the ensemble.

• Lean into the syncopation in the rhythm section parts. The accompaniment won't wait for you, so rehearse the offbeat figures separately until they feel natural.
• Balance the melody against the background voices. Mayfield's arrangement often layers the hook across multiple voice parts, and clarity matters more than volume.
• Work the dynamic arc from the first phrase to the final section. Let the energy build gradually rather than starting at full intensity.

Program this alongside other soul and funk standards in a contemporary popular music concert, or use it as a high-energy closing number that connects with audiences who grew up with Mayfield's catalog. It works equally well in a mixed concert programming popular hits from the 1970s-2000s.

• Syncopated rhythm reading in choral parts
• Funk and soul vocal articulation
• Blend and balance in layered voice arrangements
• Following a recorded rhythm section with precision