Magic to Do: SSA Choral Octavo

Alan Billingsley's arrangement captures everything that makes this song infectious while giving it a contemporary sheen that speaks to today's choirs. The three-part writing is accessible yet engaging, with enough harmonic interest to keep singers invested and enough rhythmic snap to maintain the song's essential energy and joy.

Bright, propulsive, and full of theatrical flair without veering into schmaltz. The arrangement sparkles with contemporary harmonic color while honoring the song's fundamental warmth and sense of possibility. There's real lift here, both musically and emotionally.

SSA choirs of intermediate ability who want to perform a recognizable, crowd-pleasing song with genuine musical substance. Singers who know and love Pippin will connect immediately, and those encountering the song for the first time will find themselves drawn to its optimism and musicality.

• Keep the tempo buoyant and energized throughout; resist the urge to drag even in softer moments, as the song's charm lives in its forward momentum.
• Balance the parts carefully so the arrangement's harmonic sophistication comes through without any voice getting buried.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to lock in rhythmic precision, especially if your choir is newer to contemporary pop arrangements.

This works beautifully as a high-energy opener that immediately engages your audience and sets a joyful tone for the program. It pairs well alongside other Broadway selections or contemporary pop arrangements, and its theatrical DNA makes it an especially natural choice for concerts with a musical theater theme.

• Singing contemporary pop-influenced harmony in three parts
• Maintaining rhythmic precision in syncopated, groove-based writing
• Balancing multiple melodic lines while keeping the arrangement's forward energy intact
• Connecting with text that carries theatrical and emotional weight