Right Here Waiting (arr. Kirby Shaw): TTBB Choral Octavo

Kirby Shaw's arrangement captures the yearning intensity of this ballad while writing genuinely singable lines across multiple voicings. The flexibility of TB/TTB/TBB/TTBB options means you can pull this into concert regardless of your current choir composition, making it both a practical choice and an emotionally rewarding one.

The song carries a tender, patient quality; it's about longing and commitment rather than urgency or drama. The vocal writing should feel intimate even when sung by a full ensemble, with warmth and directness in the tone that honors both the original composition and the vulnerability of the lyric.

This arrangement works for mixed choirs of intermediate to advanced ability, or for men's choirs seeking a contemporary ballad with emotional weight. It's equally suited for concert settings where you want a recognizable pop song that doesn't sacrifice musical integrity.

• Shape the phrasing around the lyrical content rather than strict metric boundaries. This song lives in the space between the melody and the emotions beneath it, so encourage singers to breathe with the thought rather than always with the bar line.
• Balance transparency in the mid-range voices. The outer voices often catch the ear first, but the harmonic support in the inner parts creates the depth that makes this ballad resonant.
• Experiment with how your ensemble handles the recurring melodic hook. Consistency in rhythm and tone color across repetitions strengthens recognition of the song's central musical idea.

Consider placing this in the second half of a concert, perhaps following more rhythmically active repertoire or as a bridge into a closing set of contrasting pieces. It also works as an accessible entry point for introducing contemporary pop arranging to singers more familiar with standard choral literature.

• Phrasing around lyrical content rather than purely metric divisions
• Harmonic listening in middle voices and inner parts
• Balancing emotional authenticity with ensemble blend
• Managing multiple voicing options within a single arrangement