Once Upon A December (arr. Doug Watts): SATB Choral Octavo

Watts captures the wistful nostalgia of this Anastasia standout while keeping the SATB texture lean and manageable. The four-page format respects rehearsal time, and the arrangement sits perfectly in the right key for mixed voices without requiring transposition.

A memory surfacing from a dream, delicate and tinged with longing. The music holds a gentle reverie, moving through clear harmonic progressions that feel both modern and timeless.

Mixed choirs at the intermediate level who want to add a contemporary Broadway selection to their repertoire. This works well for groups with solid musicianship but limited time to prepare complex arrangements.

• Protect the suspended, floating quality of the opening by resisting any pull toward a steady pulse; this melody breathes before it lands.
• Balance the inner voices carefully during sustained harmonies so the soprano line remains the clear focus without sounding thin.
• Attend to vowel consistency across all four parts, particularly during the longer sustained passages where blend matters most.

Pair this with other emotionally introspective pieces to create a concert moment that shifts the audience's attention inward. It also works as a confident closer to a set of lighter pop or musical theater selections, offering a graceful wind-down.

• Sustaining legato phrasing across longer melodic lines
• Balancing primary and secondary harmonic material in four-part texture
• Interpreting rubato and breath placement in a non-metered context
• Blending upper and lower register vowels in SATB harmony