Lucille-Anne / Jeff (from The Way They Are): SATB Choral Octavo

Adler crafts this secular choral work with genuine character and musical substance. The piece draws from a song cycle, so it carries narrative and emotional weight without requiring instrumental accompaniment or staging. It's the kind of repertoire that sits comfortably in a mixed concert program while still offering singers something melodically and harmonically rewarding to sink their teeth into.

The piece has the intimacy of character song writing paired with choral texture. It draws the listener into a specific moment or perspective while the four-part harmony adds depth and color to what might otherwise be a solo moment.

This octavo works well for intermediate to advanced mixed choirs seeking secular material with musical substance. It suits choirs comfortable with SATB writing and looking to add contemporary American repertoire to a concert program.

• Balance the SATB texture so that melodic lines emerge clearly; Adler often weaves the tune across voice parts rather than anchoring it in one section.
• Pay attention to text underlay and natural speech rhythm in the English text to avoid rushed or stilted phrasing.
• Use the 16-page score to map phrase breathing together as an ensemble; mark breath points that feel organic rather than mechanical.

Include this in a concert exploring American composers or songs with strong narrative content. It pairs well with folk-influenced or art song arrangements and works as a substantial middle section in a mixed-voice program.

• Balancing melody and harmony in SATB textures
• Sustaining character and text meaning across multiple voice parts
• Maintaining rhythmic independence while supporting harmonic progression