Love Is Here to Stay: SATB Choral Octavo

Mark Hayes' arrangement honors the song's lyricism while reshaping it for ensemble warmth; the piano writing is idiomatic and supportive rather than ornamental, which means singers stay focused on blend and intonation rather than fighting the accompaniment. This is standard Hayes craftsmanship applied to a tune that genuinely deserves a second life in the choral repertoire.

The piece carries you through emotional terrain: opening with warmth and richness, then gradually loosening into a lighter, more playful character by its close. There's an underlying optimism in the harmonic language, even in the tender moments, which gives the whole journey a sense of affection rather than melancholy.

Choirs working at intermediate to advanced level will appreciate both the lyrical demands of the sentimental sections and the rhythmic precision needed for the swing material. This arrangement suits concert choirs, community ensembles, and show choirs looking to program a Gershwin standard with sophistication.

• Shape the opening phrase across all four parts as a single melodic gesture rather than treating each voice independently; this unified approach to the opening's lushness will keep the texture cohesive.
• Let the light swing ending breathe with a relaxed rhythmic feel; mark those passages and rehearse them separately from the more sustained earlier material so the shift feels intentional and not accidental.
• Balance the piano accompaniment so it supports without overwhelming; Hayes has given the keyboard developed writing, but choral clarity depends on the accompanist hearing and responding to your ensemble's blend.

Pair this with other standards or American classics to build a concert focused on twentieth-century popular music as art song. Its twelve pages and developed accompaniment suggest a featured spot rather than an opening or closer, giving you room to program contrasting material on either side.

• Sustaining legit vocal tone while executing jazz-influenced phrasing
• Blending four-part harmony across a wide harmonic palette
• Executing a controlled shift from rubato singing to swing feel
• Responding to and maintaining balance with a full piano accompaniment