Let's Fall in Love: String Bass: Choral SoundPax

Jay Althouse's medley captures Porter's range in a single, energetic package. Eight and a half minutes lets you showcase your choir's ability to shift tone and style without requiring a full evening of Porter coverage, and the SoundPax format makes rehearsal and performance logistics straightforward.

Elegant, playful, and polished. Porter's melodies sparkle over rich harmonies, and this medley keeps the energy high while letting each song breathe. It's sophisticated enough to feel special, but the familiar tunes and Althouse's engaging arrangement keep it accessible.

Intermediate to advanced choirs comfortable with jazz phrasing and harmonic chromaticism. This works well for groups with strong soloists or those looking to add personality and sophistication to a concert program.

• Balance lyrical clarity with rhythmic precision in the jazz sections. Porter's sophistication lives in how the melody and text interact, so keep diction crisp without sacrificing musicality.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to anchor tricky harmonic transitions. SoundPax accompaniments are designed so singers can lock into the chord changes early in rehearsal.
• Shape phrases across the medley's style shifts. Each song has its own character; mark your scores with articulation and dynamic cues so the transitions feel intentional, not abrupt.
• Pay attention to the piano voicings in the score. They often hint at how to color the harmony in your voices, especially in the more sophisticated passages Porter favored.

Program this as a showcase moment in a pops or jazz-themed concert, or pair it with other American songbook standards to create a cohesive set. The 36-page score and available instrumental parts make it flexible for different performance contexts, from full choir with accompaniment to smaller chamber arrangements.

• Phrasing in jazz idiom and improvisation-influenced styles
• Handling chromatic harmony and unexpected chord progressions
• Shifting articulation and tone quality across multiple song styles within one piece
• Interpreting sophisticated lyrics with character and intention
• Balancing ensemble blend with solo or featured voice moments