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

Brymer captures the sweeping romanticism of La La Land without overcomplicating the voicing, which means your singers can focus on the emotional storytelling that made these songs unforgettable. The octavo format makes this accessible for groups that might not have the resources for a full orchestral suite, yet the arrangement retains the contemporary pop sensibility and lush harmonic language of Benj Pasek and Justin Hurwitz's score. This sits perfectly between concert showpiece and accessible showcase.

Starlight and possibility. These arrangements float between the intimate and the grand, with the dreamy quality of late-night conversations and the shimmer of ambition under Los Angeles streetlights. The harmonic language is rich but never thick; there's air in these voicings, room for each singer's voice to matter.

Choirs seeking contemporary concert repertoire that connects with audiences. This works equally well for groups wanting to program film music meaningfully, or for ensembles looking to attract singers with a repertoire that feels current and emotionally direct.

• Lean into the cinematic pacing of these arrangements. These songs don't exist in a vacuum; treat the transitions between movements as moments to breathe dramatically rather than technical hurdles.
• Balance the upper voices carefully during sustained chords. The romantic quality depends on soprano and alto blend creating atmosphere, not competing for space.
• Connect with what these characters want in each song. La La Land's music serves the narrative, so even in rehearsal, anchor your singers' sound choices in the emotional arc of the film.

Use this as a full concert suite if your programming calls for a thematic set, or pull individual movements for variety within a mixed concert. The contemporary sensibility pairs well with classic American songbook arrangements, or it can anchor a program exploring how film composers shape character and emotion through music.

• Blending sustained chords with attention to vowel uniformity
• Singing contemporary harmonic language with clear intonation
• Maintaining lyrical phrasing across extended melodic lines
• Bringing character and narrative awareness to choral performance
• Managing dynamic subtlety in film-inspired arrangements