Papa, Can You Hear Me? Cover Image

Papa, Can You Hear Me?: SAB Choral Octavo

$1.90 USD
$1.90 USD
Skip to product information
Papa, Can You Hear Me? Cover Image
Papa, Can You Hear Me?: SAB Choral Octavo

Papa, Can You Hear Me?: SAB Choral Octavo

From Yentl

Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, music by Michel LeGrand / arr. Lisa DeSpain

Item: 00-35833
makemusic Cloud badge
$1.90
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

Papa, Can You Hear Me? (from Yentl): SATB Choral Octavo

$2.25
View

Papa, Can You Hear Me? (from Yentl): SAB Choral Octavo

$1.90
View

Papa, Can You Hear Me? (from Yentl): SSA Choral Octavo

$1.90
View
Description
From the Barbra Streisand film Yentl, this Academy Award nominated ballad was most recently performed by the character Rachel on Glee. Opportunities for musical expression abound for both choir and soloists in this lyrical, well-crafted arrangement by Lisa DeSpain.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Papa, Can You Hear Me?: SAB Choral Octavo comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.
Sample Pages

Sample Audio
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Alfred Pop Choral Series
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 12
UPC: 038081400297
SKU: 00-35833

More about this title

About the Composer: Michel LeGrand

Michel LeGrand (1932-2019) was a French composer and pianist whose orchestral sensibility and gift for melody defined the sound of 1960s and 1970s cinema. His scores for Yentl, The Thomas Crown Affair, and The Summer of '42 earned him three Academy Awards and made him one of the most recorded composers in film history. LeGrand's approach to songwriting blended classical sophistication with popular accessibility, creating pieces that work equally well in concert halls and on Broadway stages.

For educators, LeGrand's output offers rich material for choral programs seeking repertoire that bridges art song and contemporary film music. His melodies sit naturally in the voice, and his harmonic language, while sometimes chromatic, rewards careful rehearsal with emotional payoff.

Why we love this

DeSpain's arrangement captures the intimate, confessional quality of the original while making it accessible to three-part choirs. The writing provides genuine solo opportunities without sacrificing ensemble moments, and the emotional arc of the piece gives your singers real dramatic material to explore. This is the kind of contemporary standard that resonates with audiences and feels substantial to perform.

What to expect

Papa, Can You Hear Me? unfolds as a quiet conversation between a daughter and memory. The piece carries the intimate vulnerability of a lullaby, yet builds moments of yearning that invite genuine emotional investment from both singers and listeners. DeSpain's arrangement preserves the song's cinematic spaciousness while keeping the focus on the human voice.

Who it's for

This arrangement suits choirs with mixed voices (SAB) who want to program something contemporary and emotionally direct without compromising musical substance. It works equally well for community choirs, school ensembles, and church programs seeking a secular pop standard with artistic depth.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the melodic phrases with careful breath placement rather than relying on the bar lines; this ballad breathes like a song, not a structured hymn.
  • Attend to the dynamic landscape throughout the arrangement. DeSpain's use of crescendo and decrescendo is essential to the arc and should be rehearsed deliberately in every section.
  • If using a soloist or soloists for the featured passages, allow them adequate rehearsal time with the choir. Their phrasing will set the emotional temperature for the ensemble response.
  • The lyrical nature of the piece demands clear diction and sustained vowel tone. Excessive vibrato will muddy the transparency of the harmony.

How to use it

Program this as a centerpiece for a lighter concert segment, or pair it with other film standards and art songs to create a thematic program around American musical cinema. Its moderate difficulty and emotional directness make it an excellent closer for a spring or fall concert, and its appeal reaches audiences beyond typical classical music listeners.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing through sustained legit phrases without excessive vibrato
  • Balancing solo and ensemble textures in pop-influenced arrangements
  • Interpreting dynamic and expressive markings in contemporary choral writing
  • Maintaining musical line across phrases without relying on bar line punctuation

You May Also Like