Magic to Do (from Pippin): Choral SoundPax

Alan Billingsley's arrangement captures everything that makes this song tick for modern audiences while respecting its theatrical roots. The SoundPax format gives your singers recorded accompaniment that locks in the groove, letting them focus on the joy and character work that makes this piece resonate. Your choir will feel the energy of the original while owning the performance.

The piece radiates optimism and forward momentum, capturing the youthful wanderlust at the heart of Pippin. Billingsley's modern harmonies and rhythmic vitality refresh the original without losing its theatrical warmth, creating an arrangement that feels both familiar and fresh.

Choirs of all levels will connect with this piece because the material is already beloved and Billingsley's arrangement meets singers where they are musically. High school and college choirs, community choruses, and adult ensembles looking for a contemporary showstopper that audiences instantly recognize will find real value here.

• Balance the vocal textures so the melody lines stay clear without overshadowing the rhythmic background parts; this arrangement thrives on crisp ensemble precision.
• Lean into the contemporary feel Billingsley brings to the arrangement; resist conducting it as a traditional ballad or hymn.
• Use the recorded accompaniment strategically in rehearsals to build confidence in the rhythm section, then gradually shift to live piano or accompanist before concerts.
• Pay attention to the dynamic arc across all 28 pages; keep the energy rising rather than settling into a comfortable middle dynamic.

This works beautifully as a standalone closer or bridge between concert sections, offering the kind of accessible Broadway repertoire that energizes audiences and singers alike. Program it alongside other contemporary pop-choral arrangements to build a concert identity, or use it as your spring concert opener to immediately engage the house.

• Singing with rhythmic precision in contemporary musical theater style
• Balancing melody and harmonic accompaniment in mixed-part textures
• Interpretation of theatrical material with character and emotional intention
• Reading and performing modern choral harmonies influenced by popular music