Lullaby of Broadway (and "Forty-Second Street"): Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Jay Althouse's approach here respects the source material while giving it contemporary musical language. Opening with "Forty-Second Street" before pivoting into "Lullaby of Broadway" creates a satisfying musical arc that feels purposeful rather than patchwork. You get two complete song ideas in one rehearsal block, and the SoundTrax accompaniment lets you lock the arrangement without requiring a full pit.

Sophisticated and urbane but never stuffy. There's a theatrical joy to these standards that lifts the mood of any concert. Singers often light up when they recognize the melody or realize they're performing something connected to cinema history.

Choirs that want to expand beyond pop and traditional sacred repertoire without jumping into classical art song. This works for singers in grades 6-12 or community ensembles looking for material that sounds polished but isn't vocally demanding.

• Record yourself singing the melodic line separately from your ensemble rehearsal. The accompaniment track can make it harder to hear intonation issues in the voicing; a clean a cappella pass reveals problems that the texture masks.
• Pay attention to where the arrangement bridges from "Forty-Second Street" into "Lullaby of Broadway." Mark that transition in your score and rehearse it as its own moment so the shift lands intentionally rather than feeling abrupt.
• The swing feel in these standards lives in the back eighth notes. Even if the notation shows straight eighths, Broadway conventions call for a lilt. Listen to a Sinatra or Ella vocal recording of the period to absorb the rhythmic pocket.
• Use the movement and staging guide from the Danza! DVD for reference, but adapt it to your space and ensemble size. The arrangements were designed with flexibility in mind.

Pair this with other Broadway or jazz standards to build a thematic set. It also serves as an excellent opener or closer for pops concerts where you want the first impression to signal "this is going to be fun and well-crafted." The recording accompaniment makes it viable for large ensembles that may lack pit musicians.

• Singing with swing articulation and rhythmic lilt
• Blending multiple song forms within a single arrangement
• Interpreting songs with mature theatrical intention
• Working with recorded accompaniment tracks in ensemble
• Phrasing and dynamics in standards-based repertoire