Just One of Those Things: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

Mark Hayes's arrangement captures the sophisticated swing and sophisticated humor of Porter's original while making it genuinely singable for mixed choral groups. The SoundTrax download gives your singers a professionally recorded accompaniment that keeps everything grounded while they focus on nailing the rhythmic vocabulary and vocal balance this standard demands. It's the kind of piece that sounds effortless but rewards rehearsal, and your singers will love performing something this stylish.

The piece carries the urbane sophistication Porter intended, with a melody that feels both breezy and intricate. Hayes's voicing honors that character, creating an arrangement that swings naturally without sacrificing the harmonic depth that makes this standard endure. There's an unmistakable cool elegance here, the musical equivalent of a well-cut suit and a clever aside.

This arrangement works beautifully for intermediate to advanced mixed choirs comfortable with jazz vocabulary and swing rhythms. It's equally at home in a concert setting showcasing American standards or in a more casual program highlighting jazz and pop repertoire. Singers need secure sight-reading skills and the musicality to phrase through a relaxed, conversational text.

• Anchor the rhythm section early. Work through the accompaniment track independently first so your singers hear exactly where the pulse lives and can sit confidently in that swing pocket without rushing.
• Shape the lyrical phrasing against the steady groove. Porter's text flows conversationally, so encourage singers to breathe naturally and let their words sit slightly ahead of or behind the beat rather than metrically rigid.
• Balance the inner voices carefully, especially in the harmonically rich sections. Jazz standards often hide countermelody and supporting lines that need air to be heard; check that no section is doubling another unintentionally.
• Use the recorded accompaniment strategically during rehearsal and performance. Start by learning without it, then layer it in during dress rehearsals so singers don't become dependent on the track before they've internalized their parts.

Pair this with other jazz standards or American songbook repertoire to anchor a full concert or a themed set. It also works as a contrasting moment in a diverse program, offering an urbane, secular interlude between more classical or contemporary choral works. Consider programming it mid-concert when audience energy is high and singers have warmed into their ensemble sound.

• Swing rhythm and jazz phrasing conventions
• Balance and blend in jazz voicings
• Singing with text clarity in a conversational style
• Interpreting harmonic sophistication without losing rhythmic ease
• Responding to recorded accompaniment tracks in performance