Love Is Here To Stay (arr. Kirby Shaw): SSAA Choral Octavo

Kirby Shaw's arrangement captures the warm, nostalgic quality of this Gershwin standard while keeping the vocal writing transparent and grateful for SSAA forces. The tunefulness and harmonic accessibility make it an excellent choice for building blend and intonation in a developing choir without sacrificing musical substance.

Warm and assured, with the gentle confidence of a song that's earned its place in the American songbook. The melody unfolds with natural grace, and the harmonies glow without demanding technical pyrotechnics.

This arrangement works for choirs ranging from community ensembles to high school mixed groups seeking a standard that feels both familiar and musically grown-up. It's equally suited to a concert featuring American songbook material or to a lighter segment within a longer program.

• Balance the melody across your soprano sections; in a shorter octavo like this one, clarity of line matters more than dynamic swell.
• Treat the jazz harmonies with respect but not irony. These chords sit naturally in the voice when singers understand the underlying voice leading rather than pushing for popular warmth.
• Shape phrases around the lyric rather than the bar line; Gershwin's melodies breathe across the music, and your singers will feel more secure when they sing through the phrase.

Pair this with other Gershwin standards or American song arrangements to anchor a thematic concert exploring early twentieth-century popular music. Its approachable length (3 pages) also makes it an excellent closer for a pops concert or a palate-cleansing piece between heavier choral works.

• Singing jazz harmonies and extended chords with intonation security
• Maintaining phrasing across harmonic movement
• Voice independence in four-part writing
• Ensemble blend in lyrical, sustained passages