Rolling In The Deep: SSA Choral Octavo

Brymer, Davis, and Anders have translated the raw intensity of this song into an arrangement that works brilliantly for SSA ensembles without sacrificing its power. The chart gives singers access to contemporary repertoire that genuinely excites them while demanding real musicality and control.

Fierce and controlled at once. The arrangement carries the original's soul weight and rhythmic drive while adapting perfectly to three voices, giving singers room to explore attitude and vulnerability in the same song.

High school and college choirs looking for contemporary material with real emotional and technical substance. This works equally well for concert programming and informal performance contexts where students want to sing music that matters to their generation.

• Build dynamic contrast carefully. The verses sit intimately, so resist the urge to oversing early and save your energy for the chorus swell.
• Lock the syncopation in the second verse; it's easy to rush when the groove tightens, so rehearse that section deliberately with a click.
• Balance the three voice parts in the final chorus. Each line carries thematic weight, so blend rather than let any voice dominate the texture.
• Shape the ad-libs and runs with intention. They should feel spontaneous but controlled; undersinging them usually lands better than oversinging.

Pair this with art song or classical choral work to demonstrate how contemporary songwriting shares fundamental principles with traditional repertoire. It also stands strongly on its own for a pops concert or a program exploring how pop music functions as modern song literature.

• Dynamic control across a wide range (intimate verse to powerful chorus)
• Rhythmic precision in syncopated pop grooves
• Part independence in three-voice texture with overlapping melodic lines
• Interpretation of contemporary vocal style (phrasing, rubato, accent placement)
• Sustained legit singing at comfortable tessitura for SSA voices