Make 'Em Laugh: A Medley of Comic Songs: 2-Part Choral Octavo

Gilpin's arrangement captures the zaniness of vaudeville without requiring your singers to work harder than the material demands. The SoundTrax accompaniment builds in absurdist humor through recorded percussion effects, which means your performers can focus on character and delivery rather than complicated musical passages. For mixed-level choirs that need something genuinely fun to rehearse and perform, this medley delivers laughs without condescension.

Stepping into a 1920s vaudeville theatre where nothing is taken seriously and every musical phrase is a setup for the next sight gag. The arrangement bounces forward with crisp rhythms and playful harmonic turns that feel light and buoyant, inviting singers and listeners alike to surrender to pure silliness.

Middle school and high school choirs looking for contemporary entertainment that doesn't require soloists or specialized skill sets. Directors seeking festival or concert finale material that lands well with audiences of all ages will find this medley delivers immediate engagement.

• Encourage exaggerated facial expressions during the verses; the recorded accompaniment already handles the jokes, so singers should lean into physical comedy
• Secure your rhythm section early in rehearsals to lock the 2-beat feel before the full ensemble joins in
• Play the SoundTrax recording during the first read-through to establish the comedic tone and help singers understand where the humor lives in the arrangement
• Plan your staging moves before finalizing tempos; the vaudeville style thrives on precise physical timing that coordinates with musical cues

Save this for your concert finale to send audiences out laughing, or program it early in a spring show to reset the energy after more serious repertoire. The 16 pages and straightforward 2-part voicing mean you can mount this quickly, making it ideal for filling a program slot with minimal rehearsal overhead.

• Maintaining steady 2-beat pulse against syncopated melodic rhythms
• Character-driven phrasing and comic timing in ensemble singing
• Secure intonation in parallel harmony movement
• Coordination with recorded accompaniment and ensemble awareness of cues