More Today Than Yesterday: SSA Choral Octavo

Kirby Shaw captures the song's warm, contemplative character without oversimplifying the harmonic foundation. This arrangement sits comfortably in a concert program where you need something that feels contemporary yet timeless, and where the lyrical sentiment genuinely means something to your singers.

Reflective and sincere. The arrangement unfolds with quiet confidence, building emotional resonance through accumulated warmth rather than dramatic gesture. Singers often find themselves moved by the simplicity of both text and music.

Directors programming a concert that balances classic standards with music their singers genuinely want to sing. Works equally well for high school choirs seeking accessible four-part writing and community ensembles building repertoire with broad appeal.

• Balance the parts carefully in the opening phrases; the SSA texture can blur if sopranos oversing their line. Aim for blend first, then shape the melody from there.
• Lean into the legit, conversational quality of the lyrics. This isn't a choral show piece; it's intimate storytelling that benefits from natural phrasing over technical precision.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to establish tempo and style, but don't let your singers lock rigidly to it. Leave room for organic breath and emotional inflection.

Pair this with other Kirby Shaw arrangements or '70s standards to create a thematic set within your concert. It works particularly well as a lighter moment sandwiched between larger choral works, or as a closer when you want the audience leaving with something memorable but not bombastic.

• Sustaining legit vocal tone in SSA voicing without strain
• Balancing independent lines while maintaining choral blend
• Singing through phrase marks with natural breathing rather than metronomic exactness
• Interpreting jazz and pop inflection within a notated choral context