Once Upon A December (from Anastasia) (arr. Audrey Snyder): SATB Choral Octavo

Audrey Snyder's arrangement captures the haunting, waltz-like character of the original while making it fully achievable for developing choirs. The orchestration stays lean enough that you can actually hear the voices, but rich enough that it never feels thin; the writing gives every section meaningful material without demanding virtuosic technique.

Nostalgic and luminous, like watching snow fall under streetlights. The melody carries an almost Russian sensibility; Snyder's voicing deepens that quality without overshadowing the song's essential tenderness and wonder.

This arrangement works well for intermediate to advanced high school choirs and college groups with secure sight-reading skills. The harmonic language is more sophisticated than most pop arrangements, making it ideal for ensembles ready to engage with lush jazz and contemporary classical influences.

• Treat the opening as purely atmospheric. Resist the urge to push tempo; let the sustained harmony create the dreamlike quality that defines the song.
• Balance the soprano line against the inner voices. Snyder writes beautiful countermotion in the arrangement, and it disappears if sopranos dominate the texture.
• Work the harmonic rhythm separately from the melodic rhythm. Several phrases contain suspension and resolution that need space to breathe.

This is a natural anchor for a winter concert that leans toward theatrical or contemporary classical repertoire. It also serves as an excellent bridge piece between traditional holiday selections and non-seasonal material; the emotional sophistication invites the audience to settle in for something beyond the expected.

• Voicing four-part harmony with suspended chords and jazz-influenced sonorities
• Maintaining intonation across sustained harmonic tension
• Balancing independent melodic lines within a homophonic texture
• Interpreting rubato and phrasing in a contemporary arrangement