La La Land: Choral Highlights (arr. Mark Brymer): SSA Choral Octavo

Brymer captures the sweeping romanticism and accessibility of the La La Land score while keeping the vocal writing singable and engaging for SSA ensembles. These arrangements hold the magic of the film without requiring advanced soloists, making it possible for a wider range of choirs to perform music that genuinely moves an audience. The collection gives you multiple pieces to work with, so you can build a full segment or select standout numbers for concerts.

Wistful, tender, and awash in Hollywood's golden-age romanticism. These arrangements carry the dreamy, intimate quality of the film while maintaining the vulnerability of live vocal performance. Singing this music puts performers and listeners in a reflective, almost cinematic space where every phrase matters.

SSA choirs, especially those with intermediate to strong singers looking to program contemporary, film-based music with real emotional resonance. High school choirs, college chamber choirs, and adult vocal groups will all connect with this material. If your ensemble loves accessible pop and film music but wants something more refined than typical radio fare, this is an excellent fit.

• Listen closely to the film's original arrangements and vocal performances. Brymer's versions distill what makes each moment special, but knowing the source material deepens your singers' interpretation.
• Attend to the lyrical phrasing and rubato marked in the score. La La Land thrives on spontaneity and emotional directness, not metronomic precision.
• Balance the accompaniment level carefully during rehearsals. These songs rely on vocal melody as the star; the piano or backing tracks should support, not compete.
• Use the moment of silence or breath between phrases as a musical tool. Brymer leaves breathing room in the arrangements, and honoring those spaces makes the singing feel more genuine.

Position these pieces in a concert section celebrating contemporary film scores or blend them into a pop/musical theater showcase. A single highlight can open or close a concert and create a memorable visual and emotional moment, or you can perform multiple arrangements back-to-back for an extended La La Land medley that audiences will recognize and adore. This repertoire works particularly well on spring concerts or in programming that aims to bridge classical and contemporary sensibilities.

• Singing legit vocal lines with stylistic control and sustained lyricism
• Blending three-part harmony while maintaining distinct voice independence
• Responding to rubato and flexible phrasing cues from a conductor
• Interpreting film and contemporary music through a choral lens
• Managing melodic lines that sit in varied ranges within SSA voicing