Ragtime (Choral Selections): SAB Choral Octavo
Featuring: Ragtime / New Music / Till We Reach That Day / Wheels of a Dream / Our Children / Make Them Hear You / Success
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty / arr. Jeff Funk
Item: 00-PO-0002520
$4.95
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
One moment…
Description
Pre-Broadway runs of the Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens musical Ragtime played to packed houses in Toronto and Los Angeles. Now on Broadway, it's one of the toughest tickets to get in New York. Sure to make an incredible impact on the '98 Tony awards, this show is a winner! This choral selection incorporates a variety of songs that capture the flavor of the entire show. Don't miss this one!
Ragtime (Choral Selections): SAB Choral Octavo isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Archive Edition: Alfred Pop Choral Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
32
SKU:
00-PO-0002520
More about this title
About the Composer: Stephen Flaherty
Stephen Flaherty is a composer whose work spans Broadway, film, and concert music. He collaborates frequently with lyricist Lynn Ahrens on large-scale theatrical projects that combine accessibility with sophisticated orchestration and memorable melody. His music has earned Tony, Grammy, and Oscar nominations, and his compositions are performed regularly in schools, concert halls, and theaters worldwide.
Flaherty's approach to writing for musical theater emphasizes strong vocal lines and emotional directness, qualities that make his work particularly effective for choral arrangements. His scores balance popular appeal with compositional craft, giving music educators rich material that engages singers and audiences alike.
Why we love this
This collection brings the energy and theatrical personality of a major Broadway musical within reach of high school and community choirs. Arranger Jeff Funk captures the show's spirit while keeping the SAB voicing singable without sacrificing the richness of the original orchestrations. Your singers will feel like they're performing Broadway material that matters, not simplified show tunes.
What to expect
These selections capture the propulsive energy and theatrical flair of ragtime while honoring the emotional depth of Flaherty and Ahrens's storytelling. The music swings with infectious rhythmic momentum one moment and settles into lyrical warmth the next, creating a collection that demonstrates the full range of Broadway craft.
Who it's for
High school and community choirs looking to perform Broadway material with genuine theatrical impact. Singers need secure musicianship and the ability to handle syncopated rhythms and rhythmic complexity, but the SAB voicing keeps the range and tessiture accessible for developing ensembles.
How to get the most out of it
- Work the recorded accompaniment into rehearsals early so singers hear the harmonic and rhythmic context that makes Flaherty's writing distinctive. The accompaniment clarifies where the choral parts sit within the larger musical landscape.
- Emphasize the rhythmic precision in the syncopated passages typical of ragtime style. These songs live or die on clean, confident rhythmic articulation rather than legit, sustained singing.
- Balance the needs of your SAB voicing by doubling soprano and alto lines where the arrangement permits, especially in unison sections. This maintains brightness without sacrificing blend.
How to use it
Program this collection as a set to showcase the variety and theatrical sophistication of modern Broadway, or extract individual selections to pair with music from other eras. These pieces work especially well on a program celebrating American musical theater or as a standalone Broadway concert block.
Skills your students will build
- Executing syncopated rhythms and complex rhythmic patterns in a choral context
- Balancing theatrical expression with ensemble blend and precision
- Reading and performing Broadway material with proper style and historical awareness
- Responding to recorded accompaniment while maintaining independent vocal lines