Let's Fall in Love: SSA Choral Octavo

Jay Althouse has threaded together a medley that captures Porter's range without losing coherence. Over eight and a half minutes, you get the wit, the swing, and the singability that made Porter's songs timeless, all arranged with the restraint and musicality that defines Althouse's work. SSA voicings this well-crafted are rare; here the harmonies breathe and support rather than complicate.

Sophisticated fun. These are songs meant to sparkle and swing, executed with the kind of harmonic elegance that reminds singers and audiences why Porter's music endures. There's lift in every section, and enough musical substance underneath the charm to satisfy both director and ensemble.

Treble choirs ready to engage with jazz-inflected harmony and rhythmic flexibility. This works for high school and college SSA groups, church choirs with strong sight readers, and community ensembles looking to add polish and personality to a concert.

• Let the swing rhythm settle naturally into the ensemble. Porter's melodies thrive when phrased with jazz phrasing, but avoid pushing the tempo; let the groove emerge from relaxed execution.
• Balance witty text delivery with legit vocal tone. These songs ask for personality, but maintain core choral blend and ensemble unity underneath the character.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to anchor the medley's structural flow and tempo transitions between songs. Rehearsing with it early establishes confidence across the longer arc.
• Shape phrase endings with care. Porter's melodies often land on unexpected chord extensions; honor those landings with slight dynamic shape rather than dropping intensity.

Slot this as a centerpiece on a pops or musical theater concert, or pair it with other mid-20th-century standards to anchor a "Great American Songbook" program. At just under nine minutes, it commands attention as a standalone feature without overshadowing other repertoire.

• Jazz phrasing and swing rhythm within a choral context
• Reading accidentals and jazz harmonies (altered chords, extensions)
• Balancing comedic text interpretation with sustained vocal production
• Following medley structure and managing tempo transitions between songs
• Ensemble blend while maintaining individual line clarity in SSA texture