Nice Work If You Can Get It: SSA Choral Octavo

Mark Brymer's arrangement captures the sophisticated charm of this Gershwin standard while making it genuinely singable for SSA ensembles. The voicing preserves the jazzy harmonic language without overwhelming singers, and Brymer's touch with sectional independence keeps the arrangement engaging for rehearsal and performance. Programming this alongside other jazz standards gives your choir access to American songbook material that audiences recognize and singers love performing.

Suave and conversational, with the breezy confidence of someone who knows they've got talent and charm to spare. The song radiates mid-century sophistication; there's sophistication without pretension, and a kind of knowing humor that makes singers smile as they perform it.

SSA choirs seeking accessible yet musically substantial jazz repertoire. This works for intermediate to advanced singers who can handle jazz articulation and harmonic awareness without needing elaborate vocal gymnastics.

• Treat the rhythm section framework (implied in the vocal lines) with precision; these are jazz phrasing conventions, not classical meter. The swing feel depends on slightly relaxed note lengths and forward-moving diction.
• Balance the melodic line in the top voice against supporting harmonies. SSA scoring can easily let the lower voices recede, but Brymer's arrangement relies on harmonic color that only emerges when all three parts carry equal weight.
• Lean into the lyrical sophistication. The text carries wit and charm that disappear if singers treat this as pure vocal technique rather than narrative storytelling.

Pair this with other standards from the American songbook to create a focused concert set, or use it as your contemporary opener on a program mixing classical and popular genres. The song's relatively straightforward structure and audience familiarity make it ideal for hybrid concerts or community performances where you want to bridge classical and popular music worlds.

• Jazz articulation and swing phrasing
• Harmonic awareness in close-voicing structures
• Lyrical storytelling and comedic timing in performance
• Voice independence within three-part harmony
• Stylistic contrast between classical diction and jazz inflection