'Round Midnight (arr. Ed Lojeski): TTBB Choral Octavo

Ed Lojeski's voicing honors the introspective, almost hymnal quality of Monk's original while opening the piece to TTBB ensembles who rarely get authentic jazz standards. The flexible voicing options (TB/TTB/TBB/TTBB) mean you can program this with your available singers, and the harmonic density throughout keeps the arrangement from ever sounding oversimplified.

Introspective and sophisticated without pretense. The piece moves through warmth and melancholy with unexpected harmonic turns that feel contemplative rather than showy. There's an intimacy to singing Monk's harmonies that asks the ensemble to listen more carefully to each other.

TTBB choirs comfortable with jazz harmony and wanting to program a piece that sounds genuinely jazz, not imitation pop. Directors seeking six-page material that rewards careful rehearsal while remaining accessible to singers whose background may be primarily in classical or contemporary choral writing.

• Treat the harmony as the main event. Lojeski's jazz voicings sit differently in the choir blend than traditional choral writing; let the chords breathe and support the melody rather than rushing through changes.
• The title itself reflects Monk's 1957 composition time and its association with late-night introspection; shape phrases with rubato and weight on unexpected harmonic moments rather than predictable bar lines.
• Balance transparency with the recording accompaniment by keeping vowels uniform across the ensemble, which prevents the jazz voicings from muddying in the middle ranges.
• Mark the harmonic rhythm in rehearsal so singers understand when they're anchoring stability versus coloring a passing chord; this changes how they voice and sustain each sonority.

Pair this with other jazz standards arranged for choir to build a concert set with real cohesion, or use it as a palate cleanser between heavier contemporary works and more traditional repertoire. The six pages fit comfortably into a spring concert program where a single strong jazz selection can anchor an eclectic set.

• Reading and performing jazz harmonies and voice leading
• Listening within the ensemble to support non-traditional chord qualities
• Phrasing and pacing in rubato contexts
• Flexibility between multiple voicing options (TB/TTB/TBB/TTBB configurations)
• Understanding harmonic rhythm distinct from melodic meter