Make Them Hear You (from the musical Ragtime): SSA Choral Octavo

This arrangement captures the defiant hope of a pivotal moment in Ragtime without requiring a massive ensemble or advanced vocal technique. Mark Hayes's setting honors Flaherty's original while making the piece accessible to SSA choirs, meaning you can program meaningful musical theater repertoire across your entire choir, not just your most advanced singers.

Urgent and clarifying. The song carries the weight of a character speaking truth in his final moments, yet the music itself is surprisingly affirming rather than despairing. Singing it feels like being part of something larger than yourself.

SSA or SSAA choirs seeking repertoire that combines meaningful social content with strong musicality. This works equally well for school choirs, community ensembles, and mixed groups performing it with the available instrumental parts.

• Build the dynamics gradually through the piece rather than jumping to full volume early; the power comes from the accumulation of voices and text working together, not from immediate intensity.
• Emphasize the text clarity in the opening lines; the message is inseparable from the music, so each word needs to land without being overdramatic.
• Balance the SSA voicing so the sopranos don't dominate; in theater music especially, blend between parts creates impact that a single line cannot achieve alone.

Consider programming this as a standalone powerful statement in a concert centered on social justice themes, or integrate it into a musical theater showcase where it anchors the second half with dramatic gravitas. The 12-page score means it's substantial enough to justify concert time without being a full production commitment.

• Interpreting text with musical intention (connecting lyrics to melodic phrasing)
• Building dynamic shape and narrative arc across a longer piece
• Balancing SSA voicing for blend and projection
• Performing music theater repertoire with appropriate style and emotional authenticity