Listen to the Music: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Alan Billingsley's arrangement captures the infectious groove of the original while giving singers genuinely fun material to perform. The arrangement sits comfortably in the contemporary choral idiom without sanitizing the song's DNA, which means your ensemble will connect with both the material and the audience immediately.

Warm and propulsive, with the relaxed confidence of a song that knows exactly what it is. You'll hear sophisticated harmonies sitting underneath a melody so infectious it becomes an earworm the moment singers finish rehearsal.

High school and adult choirs looking for accessible, high-energy repertoire that generates genuine excitement. This works equally well for groups with solid pop arranging experience and ensembles discovering the genre for the first time.

• Keep the groove locked and relaxed rather than pushing the tempo; let the pocket feel natural and conversational
• Balance the parts so the melody sits slightly forward but doesn't overpower the harmonic colors underneath
• Shape the dynamics across phrases rather than hitting every accent equally; this kind of pop repertoire breathes when you sculpt long lines
• Use the recorded accompaniment as a rhythmic reference during rehearsal, then gradually reduce reliance on it so singers own the groove themselves

Open a concert with this and you'll immediately signal to the audience that they're in for an engaging evening. It also makes a smart closer, leaving people smiling and humming as they leave. Program it alongside other pop standards or contemporary arrangements when you want to demonstrate your choir's stylistic range.

• Singing with rhythmic precision in grooved pop styles
• Balancing melody and harmony in contemporary arranging textures
• Shaping phrase dynamics in non-legit vocal music
• Connecting with audience energy through committed, confident performance