Mary Sheet Music Preview

Mary: SATBBB Choral Octavo

As performed by Take 6 / Arranged by Mark Kibble

Item: 35-DS01229487

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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Page Count: 26
SKU: 35-DS01229487

More about this title

About the Artist: Take 6

Take 6 stands alone in contemporary music as a six-part male vocal ensemble that has redefined what a cappella singing can achieve. Since their formation in 1980, they've earned ten Grammy Awards through their distinctive blend of jazz harmonies, gospel roots, and meticulous studio craftsmanship. Their arrangements consistently demonstrate how tight voicing and rhythmic precision can create textures that sound orchestral despite using only the human voice.

Mark Kibble, one of Take 6's founding members and primary arranger, has shaped the group's signature sound across decades of recordings and live performances. His work as an arranger reveals a deep understanding of how to voice complex harmonies for ensemble singers while maintaining clarity and musicality. Kibble's arrangements have become a study in how to balance technical difficulty with genuine expressiveness, making his work valuable for choirs seeking to expand their harmonic vocabulary.

Why we love this

Kibble's arrangement channels Take 6's signature harmonic sophistication into a work that sounds far more layered than a traditional SATB score. The writing captures that rare quality of sounding effortless while demanding real attention to tuning, balance, and rhythmic precision from your singers.

What to expect

Smooth yet sophisticated, with the warmth of gospel grounded in jazz voicing that feels both intimate and precise. The arrangement unfolds as a conversation among voices, building from lyrical simplicity into moments of surprising harmonic depth.

Who it's for

College and high school choirs with solid intonation and familiarity with jazz harmonies. Your singers should be comfortable reading chromatic voice leading and sustaining pitch in close harmony without instrumental reference.

How to get the most out of it

  • Invest rehearsal time in vertical sonority before worrying about individual parts moving independently; lock the harmonic centers and the voice leading becomes clearer.
  • Record yourself singing the lower three parts at tempo; this trains ears to track within dense harmony rather than defaulting to the soprano line.
  • Shape the dynamic arc as an ensemble rather than part by part; Take 6's aesthetic favors unified intensity over individual voice dominance.

How to use it

Position this as a centerpiece for an a cappella or jazz-influenced concert segment, where its stylistic clarity shines without competing against instrumental texture. It pairs naturally with other Take 6 arrangements or contemporary a cappella works that value harmonic complexity over traditional choral literature.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and sustaining close harmony (major and minor seconds, tritones)
  • Listening for harmonic function within jazz-influenced chord progressions
  • Balancing blend and blend-resistance when voicing demands clarity within density
  • Maintaining pitch stability without instrumental reference
  • Understanding how rhythmic precision shapes harmonic coherence

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